ESPN leaves no doubt about their view of Tennessee CB Colton Hood after Senior Bowl

The VFL is getting a lot of positive run after a strong week in Mobile.

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Tennessee CB Colton Hood is one of the biggest risers among hopeful draftees after the end of the 2025 college football season.

The Colorado transfer put himself on the map with a strong season after filling in admirably for Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III, both of whom were absent for basically all season (Gibson III played briefly in the Syracuse game before suffering a season-ending injury).

That strong season was bolstered by an impressive showing last week during Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama, where numerous NFL scouts, coaches, and executives were in attendance to watch some of the most talented players available for the upcoming NFL Draft in April in Pittsburgh.

Hood was one of the biggest standouts among defensive backs, having been identified by many opposing wideouts as the toughest cornerback to go against.

Now, he’s starting to get more and more love from the draft experts. ESPN’s Matt Miller put out his first mock draft following the Senior Bowl on Monday morning, and he had Hood going at No. 13 overall to the Los Angeles Rams, just two picks behind his Tennessee teammate Jermod McCoy.

Tennessee CB Colton Hood is taken at No. 13 by Los Angeles Rams in ESPN post-Senior Bowl mock draft

This is what Miller had to say about Hood:

“When watching what Jaxon Smith-Njigba did to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game (10 catches, 153 yards, 1 TD), it’s clear that Los Angeles needs a top cornerback badly. The Rams haven’t drafted a corner in the top 100 since 2019 (David Long Jr.) and have mostly gotten by with scheme-fit veterans or star players acquired via trades (Jalen Ramsey). But after being cavalier about trading picks for veterans en route to building a Super Bowl champion in 2021, hitting on early-round selections is a big reason the Rams quickly turned back into a contender after a 5-12 reset in 2022.

“Hood showed why he could be a high Round 1 pick at the Senior Bowl with excellent timing, poise and half-turn technique. He can be the Rams’ future CB1 and represent a philosophical shift in terms of team-building in the secondary.”

It’s something to hear Hood described as a potential number one cornerback for a team, particularly one with as much talent on it as the Rams have. And former Vols, for that matter, with DE Byron Young and S Jaylen McCollough both holding key roles on Los Angeles’ defense.

The next big step for Hood will be starring on the field at the NFL Combine. If he can blister the 40-yard dash time and show good footwork in the agility drills to match the strong tape he put together last season, it could be a terrific night for him on Thursday, April 23, when the NFL Draft officially gets underway.

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