The Green Bay Packers watched the rest of the league have its fun on the opening day of the NFL Draft. While sitting out Round 1 after their top pick went to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons trade, the Packers join in on the action Friday night with the No. 52 overall pick.
The Packers’ second-round selection has drawn the type of debate typically reserved for a first-round pick, and there are plenty of ways they could go. While the defensive line, offensive line, and wide receiver positions are priorities to shore up over the final two days of the draft, the Packers could also solidify their secondary, most notably at cornerback.
While several corners went off the board on Thursday night, the Packers could still grab a blue-chip prospect in the second round, making Colton Hood the clear-cut target for Green Bay if he continues falling on Friday night.
Packers Should Add Colton Hood to CB Room on Day 2 of NFL Draft
Currently ranked 32nd by the Wide Left Substack’s consensus big board, the Packers will need an aggressive approach to land the Tennessee product. But he has a lot to offer the Packers, not only with his on-field play, but also with his strong athleticism.
Hood compiled a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.61 during the pre-draft process, highlighted by a 4.44-second 40-yard dash. While that isn’t at the top end in terms of straight-line speed, Hood uses it well, particularly with his skills in press-man coverage.
Pro Football Focus’s numbers back that up. In 451 coverage snaps, Hood allowed 28 catches for 318 yards and a touchdown with an interception and five pass breakups on 52 targets during his final year with the Volunteers. While he was a bit grabby with four penalties, he’s a rock-solid cornerback that could get better with more experience.
Jonathan Gannon’s scheme also calls for his corners to be handsy early and run back into coverage, which is something Hood has shown he can do at Tennessee, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
“Hood embraces press-man challenges and is the type of balanced scrappy athlete who can attach himself to receivers and make things difficult for the offense,” Brugler wrote in his draft guide titled The Beast. “He has the talent and wiring to be an early NFL starter.”
This is the type of cornerback Green Bay should be adding to its room on Friday night. The Packers are set with their starters as Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine return for another season. But neither of them was in the shutdown tier, and both are free agents after this season.
It may take a trade up the board to land Hood on Friday night. But with eight picks over the next two days, that trade could be worth it and give the Packers a nice addition to their secondary.
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