Former Tennessee cornerbacks Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy had hopes of being first-round selections in this year’s NFL draft.
Hood went early in Friday night’s second round, while McCoy slid into Saturday’s final day.
The New York Giants snatched Hood with the fifth pick of the second round and the 37th overall selection. The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of McDonough became Tennessee’s highest-picked defensive back since Eric Berry went fifth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010.
“We had targeted Colton Hood as a guy we really liked,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Friday night in a news conference. “Corner is a premium position, and the fact he was there had us really excited to get him. He’s a high-character kid who’s been at Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee, and we spent some time with him at the combine.
“He’s a kid who’s tough, and that shows up on tape. He’s not afraid to throw his body around and tackle.
In his one season with the Volunteers, Hood amassed 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and eight pass breakups. He had a fumble return for a touchdown against Syracuse in Atlanta and an interception return for a touchdown at Mississippi State.
“He’ll be competing to start,” new Giants coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ve got a good cornerback room right now, but it’s amazing how one addition changes the math in a room. Our cornerback room was good, but now it’s really good.
“He’s going to push everybody, and I know he’s planning on coming here and winning a starting job.”
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McCoy, who starred in his one season with the Vols in 2024 but missed last year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, was clocked at 4.37 seconds inthe 40-yard dash at Tennessee’s pro day late last month and had been a top-10 pick in several mock drafts. There were reports earlier this week, however, that McCoy might need another surgery on his knee.
Saturday, the third and final day of the draft, contains rounds four through seven.
The second Vols player picked Friday night wound up being receiver Chris Brazzell II, who was taken by the Carolina Panthers with the 19th selection of the third round and the 87th overall pick. The 6-4, 198-pound Brazzell racked up 62 receptions for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns this past season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.