The ideal scenario at cornerback for the New York Giants would seem to have Colton Hood, a rookie second-round pick, earning a starting job opposite Paulson Adebo.
Greg Newsome II and Deonte Banks took nearly all of the first-team reps at that cornerback spot in the spring. Each performed admirably, but comes with obvious blemishes.
Newsome, 26, was a 2021 first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns. The first three seasons of his career were solid, but the last two have been concerning.
Newsome
played poorly in 2024. In his first three seasons, his highest passer rating against was 87.0 as a rookie. In 2024, it was 112.5. He allowed four touchdowns that season after giving up just five over his first three seasons.
In 2025, things did not get better. The Browns traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars just five games into the season. He allowed a passer rating against of 100.7 for the season between the two teams.
Pro Football Network’s Impact Score is another measure of how Newsome’s performance regressed. Here are his year-by-year cornerback position rankings from PFSN:
- 2021 — 49th
- 2022 — 60th
- 2023 — 21st
- 2024 — 111th
- 2025 — 98th
Can Newsome be relied upon to return to his early-career form?
Giants’ fans know the deal with Banks. The Giants moved up one spot to select him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. After a promising rookie season, a change at defensive coordinator from Wink Martindale to Shane Bowen produced disastrous on-field results for Banks. Here are his PFSN rankings year-over-year:
- 2023 — 28th
- 2024 — 115th
- 2025 — 110th
Banks’ difficulties led to effort issues that saw him criticized publicly by then-defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson in 2024, benched, and then marginalized in 2025.
Banks had a good spring under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, but having him emerge as a full-time starting cornerback does not seem like an enticing scenario.
Enter Hood.
The Giants selected the 6-foot, 195-pound 21-year-old out of Tennessee 37th overall in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Immediately, they said he would compete to start opposite Adebo.
Throughout the spring, Hood worked almost exclusively with the second-team defense. That doesn’t mean he never lined up against quarterback Jaxson Dart and the first-team offense. The Giants mixed and matched throughout the spring, with the first- and second-teams occasionally working against each other.
Hood did a good job in the spring, but had moments where his inexperience was exposed. One of those came on a play where Odell Beckham Jr. used his veteran savvy to leave Hood far behind for a long touchdown reception.
The Giants were not discouraged by such moments from Hood, a player they felt had a chance to be selected late in Round 1.
Defensive backs coach Addison Lynch said Hood did “a great job” in spring practices.
“He’s intelligent, he looks like he belongs, all the skill sets there,” Lynch said. “He’s just getting the nuances of playing in the NFL, getting some of these vet receivers, the different moves, the different splits.
“But he’s right where we want him, and he’s like his coach said, he’s going to compete for that starting role.”
Lynch said there are “little things” Hood needs to improve upon.
“He’s picked up the techniques very fast for a young rookie,” Lynch said. “He’s settled into what we’re trying to get accomplished with the scheme, and as far as our technique, and he’s doing a good job applying those skills.
“Now it’s just some of the stuff when we get down the field that’s in flight. It’s, hey, we need to stay on top of leverage. We don’t need to undercut some things. And it’s the little things that he’s going to get and get more consistent with, and you’re going to be able to see him take off and play well.”
Defensive pass game coordinator Donald D’Alesio said Hood “has been the guy that we thought he was going to be.”
Like Lynch, D’Alesio pointed to things Hood needs to get better at to succeed at the NFL level.
“He’s strong,” D’Alesio said. “He’s gotta learn how to play strong … as he gets reps and gets more comfortable, I think that’s going to come with it for him. He’s starting to pick it up. He’s a fast learner.”
Hood’s uncle, Roderick Hood, played eight seasons as an NFL defensive back. Lynch said Hood has an “incredible foundation” to build upon.
“Those guys have taught him well. They did a great job with him at his past schools,” Lynch said. “His uncle has clearly done a good job with him, so his transition has been faster than a lot of guys would be.”
Training camp will tell us if Hood can make that transition quickly enough to be a Week 1 NFL starter.
