Tennessee CB Colton Hood linked to 4-time Super Bowl champs in NFL Draft projections

Colton Hood made his third stop in college football worth it. The Tennessee Volunteers cornerback is now projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He's come a long way from his days at Colorado and Auburn. While Deion Sanders would like to take credit for his success story, the Hall-of-Famer can't be attributed to what he did last season under Josh Heupel.

The All-SEC talent started 12 games with 50 tackles (4.5 for loss), a pick-six, 8 PDUs, and a forced fumble. Hood earned spots at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, turning out some solid tape. His encore was an outstanding showing at Tennessee’s Pro Day and will be in the green room in Pittsburgh this week.

Here’s a look at the latest NFL Draft projections and profile for Hood.

Latest NFL Draft Projections

Jordan Reid (ESPN): No. 29, Kansas City Chiefs 

Mel Kiper (ESPN): No. 29, Kansas City Chiefs

Chad Reuter (NFL): No. 18, Minnesota Vikings 

Eric Edholm (NFL): No. 29, Kansas City Chiefs

Colton Hood NFL Draft Profile (NFL's Lance Zierlein)

"Press-man bully with an ability to put his stamp on the first and last phases of the snap. Hood plays with a disruptive punch and gets his hands on most releases, but shifty NFL wideouts could create issues for him. He has enough speed to stay phased on verticals and does a nice job erasing space on in-breakers from tight press or off-man looks. He’s disciplined in zone but route switches still cause occasional missteps.

"Hood plays with aggression in the catch space, taking top positioning by force. Physicality also shows up in run support, where he triggers downhill with stopping power and finishes like an extra safety. Hood needs to sharpen his instincts/technique, but he has the mentality and upside to become a CB2 in a press-heavy scheme."

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• Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
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• Ohio State's Ryan Day faces backlash after NFL Combine