Seahawks address secondary gaps with Tennessee's Colton Hood, adding length, physicality, and immediate starter potential in Mel Kiper's latest mock.
The Seattle Seahawks have lost a few key pieces of their secondary in free agency, and the team could be looking ahead to the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft in order to remedy the problem.
And ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that they will do exactly that.
In his most recent mock draft, he has them taking cornerback Colton Hood out of the University of Tennessee.
"Hood fits perfectly with the Mike Macdonald defense as a cornerback with length and decent speed, and while he had only one interception in 2025, he broke up 10 passes," Kiper writes. "The defending Super Bowl champions returned Josh Jobe and brought in Noah Igbinoghene, but Riq Woolen is off to the Eagles. Hood could get significant reps on the outside in Year 1."
At six feet tall and nearly 200 pounds, Hood brings the kind of length Seattle covets at the position. More importantly, he plays with a physical edge. During his 2025 season at Tennessee, Hood showed major growth as a tackler, dramatically improving his consistency and missing very few attempts—an encouraging sign for a defense that demands corners contribute in run support.
He racked up 50 total tackles, and he was able to do so while still showing his ball-hawk skills with eight passes defended and an interception that he took back to the house.
This isn’t just about adding depth—it’s about finding an immediate contributor. Hood has the potential to step in early and compete for significant snaps, potentially lining up opposite an established starter while complementing the versatility already present in the secondary.
Drafting at No. 32, the Seahawks are in a position to target upside without sacrificing need. Hood represents both. He’s a rising prospect—ranked among the top cornerbacks in the 2026 class—and a player whose best football could still be ahead of him.
If this mock scenario becomes reality, Seattle wouldn’t just be adding another defensive back—they’d be reinforcing the identity of their defense with a player built for the system.
And coming off of a Super Bowl winning season where their defense was one of the best in the league, there isn't a time where that would be more important.