If the New York Giants have told us anything over the course of the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft, it's that things are looking up in North Jersey. After an incredible Day 1, Day 2 delivered similar results, with Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood being the prized pick at No. 37. And he instantly impacts the depth chart.
Hood joins a pretty crowded cornerback room that lacks a true alpha. Paulson Adebo figures to be CB1, but behind him, it's a hodgepodge of unknowns. And there's no bigger unknown than 2023's 24th overall pick, Deonte Banks. Through three years, he's gone from promising rookie to glorified punt returner, and it's impossible to ignore the feeling that Hood could be a course correction.
There’s no chance the G-Men took a 21-year-old that early just to have him sit on the bench. There are already too many of those highly drafted guys on the depth chart doing that as is, and Banks is one of them. He was already on borrowed time after last season's nightmare, and now it feels like it’s up.
Giants' Colton Hood pick made their stance on Deonte Banks pretty clear
If you’ve ever played corner, stood next to one, or at least convinced yourself you could’ve locked someone up in high school, there’s a decent chance the Giants would’ve given you a look this offseason. Seriously. They’ve got a thousand corners on the roster, which says a lot about what they think of Hood, but it might say even more about where Banks stands.
Paulson Adebo figures to be the CB1 on opening day, and Dru Phillips should man the slot. Other than that, it's open SZN. The team signed veteran Greg Newsome to a one-year deal earlier in the offseason, and now with Hood joining the team, there's real competition for CB2, with Banks more on the outside looking in than ever.
Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has publicly expressed his eagerness to work with the former Maryland standout, but that's time spent not working with Hood, who should now be the priority.
Hood plays the way Wilson and Co. want the position played: up in receivers’ faces and willing to mix it up. Banks has the speed advantage, but the lack of physicality and inconsistency has been his thing for years, which is exactly what Hood was brought in to challenge.
If Tae had the drive, motivation, willingness to improve, and everything else it requires to be great, he could be so good... All-Pro-level good.
Joe Schoen has shown a willingness to move on from players in the past -- just not the ones he's drafted. That makes Banks' situation an interesting one, especially with Wilson as his sponsor for the Big Blue DB second-chance program. But at what point do you pull the plug? If not now, when?
Banks needs a change of scenery like a bad haircut needs a hat. Consider Colton Hood the official keeper of the clockl
Add us as a preferred source on Google