Smother the New York Giants in butter, because they’re on a roll. Seriously, after grabbing arguably the best defensive prospect of the draft -- Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the fifth pick -- and the best offensive lineman prospect of the draft -- Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick -- Big Blue grabbed one of the best defensive back prospects remaining on Day 2 in Tennessee’s Colton Hood.
Hood, FanSided’s No. 48 overall prospect, was a fringe, late Day 1 pick, early Day 2 pick, and what do ya know? There he was, practically waiting for the G-Men to take him at 37.
Round 1 went about as well as it possibly could have for Big Blue, and that might be a major understatement. And those who know Hood best, and have followed him in college, will have Giants fans' heads inflating at alarming rates.
All for Tennessee's Conner Linsner all but admitted the 21-year-old is tailor-made for John Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson's defense due to his "feisty mentality" and "man-coverage dominance."
"Hood was Tennessee’s most reliable cornerback and should excel in a man-coverage scheme at the next level. He plays with a feisty mentality and is willing to tackle in the run game. He brings a strong combination of size, speed, and physicality."
Giants fans will love what Tennessee expert said about Colton Hood
Hood isn’t the biggest cornerback (5-foot-11, 193 pounds), but it’s not the size of the Giant in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the Giant. And Hood’s got some fight.
He’ll be used all over Wilson’s aggressive defense, playing on the boundary or moving inside and playing in the slot. He’ll need to add some functional strength if he wants to get away with the physicality he played with in college, but his willingness to step up in the ground game suggests he isn’t afraid to put in the work.
New York could have addressed other needs with the 37th pick -- like a defensive tackle to fill the Dexter Lawrence void -- but the Houston Texans moved up to 36 in a trade with the Raiders to steal Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald right from under them. It’s a bummer, but as consolation prizes go, this one’s pretty freaking awesome.
Who knows -- they might have taken Hood even if McDonald was still there. He fits exactly what they’re trying to do, as Linsner laid out. Sometimes, two things can't escape one another.
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