The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft has come to an end as 32 players heard their names called to fulfill their lifelong dreams. Tennessee CB Colton Hood didn’t hear his name on the first night and will have to wait 24 hours before his dream is realized. Hood had plenty of first-round buzz, but it didn’t prove to be anything other than just buzz. Take a look at why he fell out of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Colton Hood’s Slide in the NFL Draft
Hood wasn’t projected to be a top first-round selection, but it was more than possible, even likely, that he would be selected before the first night ended.
It was an unfortunate night for players in the secondary, with only two cornerbacks, Mansoor Delane and Chris Johnson, and only two safeties, Caleb Downs and Dillon Thieneman, being selected. Thieneman saw a slight slide in his draft position as well, as he dropped to No. 25.
The cornerbacks left on the board are among the highest-rated players remaining on the overall big board. Four of PFSN’s top five best available players are cornerbacks in Jermod McCoy, D’Angelo Ponds, Avieon Terrell, and Hood.
These corners should be hot commodities in the second and third rounds. They will find their new homes soon, and Hood will be off the board in the early stages of night two.
Hood began his collegiate career at Auburn before transferring to Colorado to join a talented secondary alongside Travis Hunter and DJ McKinney. Rotating in between two high-profile NFL Draft prospects, Hood managed to produce on his own in 2024, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition. He used that momentum to transfer again in 2025, making the move to Tennessee in the SEC.
With the Volunteers, Hood was again expected to be a CB2 playing across from Jermod McCoy, but McCoy’s injury thrusted Hood into a CB1 role, where he thrived.
In 2025, Hood racked up 1 interception, 4 pass breakups, and 4.5 tackles for loss, while earning a near-elite PFSN CB Impact score of 87.3. At 6’0″, 195 pounds, Hood has an enticing blend of explosiveness, corrective twitch, reactive coil, proportional length, and physicality.
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“He’s still learning to play with more patience and discipline, but he possesses clear early-round ability, with his coverage mobility as the foundation,” PFSN’s scouting report on Hood noted. “Hood can stick to WRs in press-man, as well as suddenly redirect and explode through breaks in off-man and zone. His playmaking ability is stamped at the catch point, and he’s a consistent tackler in support as well.
In time, Hood has the potential to become a high-end starter with inbuilt schematic versatility.
