Colton Hood 2026 NFL Draft Profile

Colton Hood emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC during the 2025 season, and his scouting report evaluates how well his skill set might translate to the NFL.

More 2026 NFL Draft Profiles

Colton Hood 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Measurables:

Height- 6’0″

Weight- 193 lbs

Background:

Hood attended Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy in McDonough, Ga., where he was a three-star recruit. He committed to Auburn and played four games in his first season before redshirting. He then transferred to Colorado, where he made his first career start and played in all 13 games during the 2024 season. Hood transferred again to Tennessee for the 2025 season. With the Volunteers, he started 12 games and finished second on the team in total pass deflections with eight, and finished second on the team in solo tackles with 34. He earned All-SEC Third Team honors and was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.

Strengths:

Hood has good size for the position at 6-foot-0 and 193 pounds, along with solid arm length. He is a physical cornerback who has great play strength and plays the game with great competitive toughness in coverage. Hood excels in press coverage. He does a good job at using his length at the line of scrimmage and has the ability to reroute receivers and disrupt timing.

Hood is also an exceptional athlete with tremendous recovery speed. He recorded a 9.66 relative athletic score at the NFL Combine, and had the fifth-best vertical jump of any cornerback at the combine with a 40.50-inch vertical jump, along with a 4.44 40-yard dash time. Hood has the speed to effectively carry receivers vertically downfield, and he also has great movement skills and change-of-direction ability. He has fluid hips, quick feet, and good mirroring ability in man coverage. Hood has good instincts, and he is strong at the catch point. He aggressively attacks the football, recording 14 pass deflections in his last two seasons.

Weaknesses:

Hood can be overly physical and too grabby in coverage at times, and it can lead to penalties. He had four penalties during the 2025 season. Hood greatly improved his missed tackle rate during the 2025 season, but while a willing tackler, Hood can be a bit inconsistent against the run and has an inconsistent tackling technique.

Potential Team Fits:

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

NFL Projection:

Hood is a physical cornerback who excels in press coverage. He has great all-around athletic ability with good speed, acceleration, hip fluidity, change of direction ability, and one of the best vertical jumps of any cornerback in the entire 2026 draft class. Hood is also an aggressive cornerback who is strong at the catch point, and can make plays when the ball is in the air. However, he will have to be less grabby in coverage downfield in the NFL, and could continue to improve his tackling technique and consistency against the run. With his top-tier press coverage skills and athletic ability, Hood has the skill set to potentially become a strong starting outside cornerback in the NFL.

Prospect Grade:

Second Round