Colton Hood Selected No. 37 by New York Giants in 2026 NFL Draft

Image: Tennessee Athletics

By Aidan Sidoti

PITTSBURGH – Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood was selected with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the New York Giants on Friday night in Pittsburgh, becoming the first Vol taken in this year’s NFL Draft.

Hood’s path to the draft was anything but a rollercoaster. The former Auburn signee redshirted his freshman season before transferring to Colorado, then made the move to Knoxville where he delivered a breakout year in his lone season with the Vols. Hood totaled 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, one interception returned for a touchdown, and eight pass breakups across 12 games.

A 2025 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, Hood allowed just one touchdown in 451 snaps during his redshirt sophomore campaign, earning second team All SEC honors and establishing himself as one of the most reliable cover corners in the conference.

Hood becomes the first Tennessee defensive contributor to hear his name called, with more Vols expected to join the professional ranks later Friday and Saturday.