The New York Giants don’t seem to care much about the volume of picks this year, but they absolutely care about positional value. After taking a potential edge rusher in Arvell Reese and an offensive tackle in Francis Mauigoa in the top 10, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh decided to take Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood with the 37th overall pick early in the second round.

The good news is the Giants got a potentially real difference-maker who’s only 21 years old. The bad news is the team doesn’t have Day 2 picks anymore — barring a trade up. Their third-rounder went to the Houston Texans last year, so the next pick is slated to be early in the fourth round, the 105th overall selection.

The Texans jumped them, trading up from pick No. 38 to No. 36 to take defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. It’s unclear if McDonald would have been the Giants’ pick, but the Giants ended up with a high-end prospect from a premium position, so it’s hard to complain about the outcome of the second round — and it’s clear they did not panic.

Colton Hood’s scouting report

Hood is a strong press-man coverage cornerback who is sticky and boasts active hands on the back end. He’s got quick feet and a natural ability to flip his hips in coverage. Totaled three career interceptions, fourteen pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 29 games. Hood must improve his inconsistency in run support from the secondary. Must play more physically when triggering downhill at the next level.

Positional reasoning

The Giants invested heavily in the cornerback position in free agency over the past two years, signing Paulson Adebo in 2025 and Greg Newsome II in 2025 — they are the projected boundary starters, with former third-rounder Dru Phillips in the slot.

The depth chart also has Deonte Banks, Rico Payton, Korie Black, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Nic Jones, and Art Green.

Grade: B+