A look at how Tennessee DB Colton Hood performed at the NFL combine on Friday

The testing portion of the 2026 NFL Combine is officially underway in Indianapolis, and multiple former Tennessee Volunteers are set to be in attendance for the event, including Colton Hood. Volquest is tracking the performance of each, and in this story, we take a look at how the defensive back performed in the setting on Friday.

Hood transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2025 season, and he made an immediate impact in the secondary. He had a stellar season for the Vols, and has moved himself into first round projections ahead of the combine.

A look at Colton Hood’s NFL Combine numbers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 193

40-yard dash: 4.44

Bench Press (225 lbs): DNP

Vertical Jump: 40.5″

Broad Jump: 10′.5″

3-cone: DNP

Shuttle Drill: DNP

“Press-man bully with an ability to put his stamp on the first and last phases of the snap,” NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein writes. “Hood plays with a disruptive punch and gets his hands on most releases, but shifty NFL wideouts could create issues for him. He has enough speed to stay phased on verticals and does a nice job erasing space on in-breakers from tight press or off-man looks. He’s disciplined in zone but route switches still cause occasional missteps. Hood plays with aggression in the catch space, taking top positioning by force. Physicality also shows up in run support, where he triggers downhill with stopping power and finishes like an extra safety. Hood needs to sharpen his instincts/technique, but he has the mentality and upside to become a CB2 in a press-heavy scheme.”

Zierlein also listed what he believed to be Hood’s strengths and weaknesses as a potential pro.

For strengths, he listed: Plays with box-safety physicality in coverage and run support. Punches and suffocates outside release against boundary. Demands the catch space on jump-ball battles. Gathers and triggers with adequate fluidity from depth. Operates with discipline/leverage against high/low route concepts. Explodes vertically with extended arms to capture high-point. Run-defense wiring is exactly what coaches want to see. Above-average stopping power when tackling bigger backs.

For weaknesses, he listed: Could struggle matching twitchy NFL releases. Hips can get sticky on sudden, aggressive transitions. Grabby at break points or vertical routes when he’s out of phase. Gets too dialed in to receiver and loses track of ball flight. Still developing his instincts from off coverages. Leggy with sluggish change of direction as open-field tackler.

Hood’s pre-combine grade is 6.28 , which puts him in the projected category to be an “eventual plus starter”.

A look at how Tennessee DB Colton Hood performed at the NFL combine on Friday

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