Colton Hood Best Colorado Cornerback in 2024

Wow.

That’s quite the statement to make about cornerback Colton Hood, who played for head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024, before transferring to the University of Tennessee on May 2.

Was he better than Travis Hunter, who played cornerback for the Buffaloes in 2024?

Yes.

I’m on record putting a second-round grade on Hunter as a cornerback and a first-round grade on him as a wide receiver at Colorado. I put a second-round grade on their other starting Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney, after studying every snap he participated in during the 2024 season.

Despite not playing a whole lot in the defensive secondary rotation for Colorado, Hood impressed me the most as a pure cover corner when I compare all three.

Having traits is one thing.

Showing traits on tape consistently is another.

Hood did just that.

Ball magnet

I was on the fence between a first and second-round grade on Hood’s 2024 game film until I saw that play up above.

That’s the play that did it for me.

However, that’s not the only play Hood showed tremendous ball skills. He showed it time and time again.

2024 stats:

• 6 passes defended
• 2 interceptions

Per Pro Football Focus, Hood was in 215 coverage snaps for Colorado in 2024. Hunter participated in 428 coverage snaps for Colorado in 2024 and had 11 passes defended and four interceptions. McKinney played in 483 coverage snaps for the Buffaloes in 2024, and he had 8 passes defended and three interceptions.

You do the math.

NFL elite starting cornerback skill set

1. Good straight-line speed
2. Fast close to the ball in coverage
3. Playmaking ball skills
4. Route anticipation
5. Great instincts
6. Plays with route leverage
7. Physicality
8. Toughess
9. Short-term memory
10. Swag
11. Not afraid to provide pass and run support
12. Good tackler

✔️ Hood checks 10 out of the 12 boxes.

Not too shabby.

Which two is he missing?

Hood did not show himself to be a good tackler on his 2024 game film.

He was also RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE PASS AND RUN SUPPORT.

Hood is a pure cover corner, to a fault.

I noted several MISSED TACKLES. Hood is more of a “hitter,” and he tends to come in low. To his credit, he showed some improvement in this area as the season progressed.

What do I mean by some improvement?

Hood would latch onto a leg and hang on for dear life until the guy went down.

He wanted nothing to do with run support a couple of times down by the goal-line.

Why didn’t Hood see more playing time for Deion Sanders?

That was the question that kept playing on my mind.

Outside of his tackling and support woes, I spotted a handful of times Hood made mental errors in coverage early in the season.

I also liked him more in man coverage than zone. Hood showed slight hesitation in zone. Man coverage is when a cornerback is assigned to cover a specific receiver, and zone coverage is when a cornerback is assigned to cover a certain area of the field.

#3 Colton Hood (his jersey number at Colorado in 2024) 6-foot-0, 195 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a Second Round prospect as of November 6, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: NDSU, Nebraska, Colorado State, Baylor, UCF, Kansas State, Arizona, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and BYU (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Quick-twitch prospect with a physical edge in coverage. Compact build. Long arms. Smooth movements. Springy. Nimble. Electric athlete. Shows emotion. Good football IQ. Played more inside at nickel. Sometimes outside. Excels at press and off-man coverage. Didn’t get beat in press man. Handsy. Impedes routes. Likes to bait quarterbacks. Can give up a little too much cushion and give up receptions. Susceptible to pick plays.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Tackling?

2. Support?

3. How does he look in zone coverage?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.