Anthony Rivardo
Paulson Adebo locks down the Giants’ No. 1 cornerback spot, but the other starting CB job is up for grabs. Second-round rookie Colton Hood took first-team reps opposite Adebo this spring, pushing veteran Greg Newsome II and 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks for a starting job that nobody has secured. A cheap rookie winning that role would let the Giants stop waiting on Banks, allow them not to bet on a veteran in Newsome coming off a down year, and be able to put the best player on the field.
The Giants drafted Hood at No. 37, but the evaluation around the league pegged him higher. He landed in the second round despite first-round talk, which means New York may have found a starter at a discount.
The rookie has a first-round profile
Hood arrived with the pedigree of a higher pick. The Tennessee product was invited to the draft green room, an invitation usually reserved for first-round prospects, and slipped to the Giants at No. 37 overall. At 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, he ran a 4.44-second 40 and posted an 84 Athleticism Score from Next Gen Stats, third among cornerbacks at the combine.
That athletic profile fits the boundary corner role the Giants need opposite Adebo. Hood taking first-team reps this early in his rookie year is the signal that the coaching staff sees a starter, not a developmental project.
The competition is beatable
Greg Newsome II is the nominal veteran starter, signed in free agency to stabilize the position. Newsome is a steady pro, but he arrived on a short-term deal as a bridge rather than a long-term answer, the kind of veteran a talented rookie is built to leapfrog.
Deonte Banks is the other contender, and his grip is slipping. The Giants declined Banks’s fifth-year option, a public signal that the 2023 first-round pick has not developed into the lockdown corner they drafted. Banks rotating with the second team while a rookie takes first-team reps tells the story of a player running out of chances.
| CB job opposite Adebo | Acquisition | 2026 standing |
|---|---|---|
| Colton Hood | 2nd round, No. 37 (Tennessee) | Rookie riser, first-team reps |
| Greg Newsome II | Free-agent signing | Veteran bridge starter |
| Deonte Banks | 2023 first-round pick | Declined fifth-year option |
Why the Giants want Hood to win it
A rookie starter on a cheap contract is the best outcome for the roster. The Giants poured money into Adebo, Jevon Holland, and the rest of the back end, which makes a cost-controlled answer at the second corner spot the kind of value that lets them allocate cap elsewhere. Hood winning the job would also let them move past the Banks experiment without forcing it.
The fit alongside Adebo is the bigger prize for a secondary that has to hold up behind an elite front seven. A pass rush led by Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux needs coverage that survives an extra beat, and two long, athletic corners give a defensive coordinator the freedom to pressure. The Giants did not draft Hood at No. 37 to redshirt him. They drafted him to win a job, and he is doing exactly that.
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