‘First-Round Value’: Why Giants Rookie Colton Hood is the Direct Threat to Deonte Banks’ Roster Spot

After making a pair of picks in the top 10 of the NFL Draft's first round for the first time since 2022, there might have been some New York Giants fans left feeling disappointed that the organization didn't take advantage of their rare opportunity to double-stack on the defensive side that came in needing a lot of work beyond the interior.

It didn't take long for general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh to go right back to that philosophy at the start of Day 2, grabbing one of the most surprising prospects still sitting on the board in round two in Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood at the No. 37 pick.

Hood, who entered the draft as the fourth-highest rated defensive back prospect in the 2026 class, is arguably one of the most experienced ballhawks as well. He started off slow at the college level before ascending into an elite coverage defender on the perimeter against SEC receivers.

Both Hood and the Giants brass were stunned that he made it as far as he did into the second round, given they viewed him as holding first-round value and having the ability to come in and immediately challenge the rest of their defensive secondary for a starting job this summer.

“That's what he's going to do,” head coach John Harbaugh said in confirming that Hood would compete for a starting job.

“Cornerback room is good, but now it's really good. He's going to push everybody, and I know one thing, he's planning on coming in here and trying to win a starting job.”

A young star in the making

Hood’s 2025 resume with the Volunteers showed that he finished with the 10th highest coverage grade in the nation for draft-eligible corners with over 400 coverage snaps.

He allowed a 53.8% reception rate during those reps while being a nuisance in man coverage with 13 pass deflections, two forced turnovers, and one touchdown under his watch.

The Giants have an open spot at the CB2 role after Cor’Dale Floot exited in free agency, leaving a self-motivated Hood ample room to make his presence felt as soon as he arrives for camp in East Rutherford and show he should have gone much earlier than he did.

If he does impress Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson from the jump, it will spell trouble for the ultimate fate of one fellow veteran ballhawk whose tenure in blue had dealt with endless criticism.

How Colton Hood’s arrival could affect the Giants’ cornerback depth

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

One of the toughest areas the Giants have seemingly struggled to hit on in recent drafts is the defensive secondary. When one is a first-round choice like Deonte Banks was in 2023, the lack of growth in coverage production tends to get amplified in a big market like New York.

Bank, the 25th overall pick in that draft, came into the Giants organization with similar expectations as Colton Hood: a tough and instinctual defender with the skillset and physical build strong enough to handle elite receivers in one-on-one matchups.

Instead, Banks, who has played in 45 games with 35 starts for Big Blue, has seen his effectiveness in coverage dwindle each season, leaving him a sitting duck target for opposing teams that come to do aerial damage against an overall young core of deep defenders.

After being one of the Giants' starting perimeter corners during his rookie and 2024 seasons, Banks finally lost his job to Cor’Dale Flott last year.

The inevitable injury bug that affected the third level of the defense gave Banks his shot to start in six contests and earn back some favor in the team’s hierarchy.

His stats still reached their worst point in 2025 with an 81.3% opponent reception rate and a team-high four touchdowns allowed over 282 coverage snaps.

Not all of the unit’s woes—that included being the catalyst for some of the Giants’ brutal fourth-quarter collapses—were on him, but that is not the return from Banks that should have been expected when he was taken as one of the top 32 prospects in his class.

Given the lack of experience in the same secondary heading into 2026, Banks may have one last chance to show he belongs as part of the group heading into the future.

He will likely battle it out with Hood for the CB2 role so long as Adebo returns to the mix healthy and as impactful as he once was in disrupting passes and creating turnovers.

Hood may also have the opinion of John Harbaugh on his side, entering that competition, since the head coach is familiar with him from coaching his uncle in Philadelphia from 1998 to 2007, and knowing the type of competitor he wants to be for the Giants.

“I don't think there are too many people in the Draft -- not too many people. There's no one in the Draft that's as good as me when it comes to press,” Hood said during his first in-person press briefing after his selection by the Giants.

“I just want to continue to build on that and continue to build on my game so when the season comes, I can be dominant.”

As for Banks, although the Giants have yet to say if they’ll exercise the option year in his contract–and it’s widely believed they may not–either way, he appears to be on borrowed time.

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