The San Francisco 49ers are a team that's not forced to attack the 2026 NFL Draft a certain way. Instead of one major pressing need on the roster, they have a multitude of smaller needs, which has given John Lynch the luxury of drafting the highest-rated player on his draft board with the 27th pick.
That could be a wide receiver. That could be an offensive lineman. It could even be a defensive lineman. Those are the three most popular outcomes, but what if it's none of those? With Lynch at the helm, the 49ers have never been scared to gamble on upside, especially in the first round of the draft.
The secondary isn't a major need for the Niners, especially on Day 1, but if there's a run on OTs or WRs early, cornerback should be an option. And I'm not talking about a guy like Avieon Terrell. Tennessee's Colton Hood has quietly been rising up draft boards lately, and feels like a first-round lock.
Tennessee CB Colton Hood should be on the radar of San Francisco 49ers fans
At point, there's reason to question whether or not Hood will even last until the 27th pick, but if he's available, San Francisco should seriously consider taking him. Hood isn't exactly in the tier with Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy yet, but there are people that have him as high as their CB3.
The 21-year-old showed out at the Senior Bowl and tested well at the combine to the point where he should no longer be on the first round borderline. Hood has solid speed and decent length. but as a physical press-man cornerback, he would thrive in Raheem Morris' system as his new A.J. Terrell.
In ESPN's Peter Schrager's latest mock draft, he had Hood going with the 29th overall pick to Kansas City Chiefs. Schrager's mocks tend to be more on the nose compared to other draft analysts, so if he's pinpointing him as a likely first-round pick, there has got to be some weight to his assessment.
I know what you're thinking. The 49ers have added enough help in the secondary this offseason in Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs, but hear me out. They're likely to add some long-term pieces at the position at some point in the draft, especially after hiring Morris as their DC, so why not do it early on?
Imagine a cornerback room with Hood and Deommodre Lenoir starting on the boundary, Upton Stout in the nickel, with Hobbs, Jones, and Renardo Green in depth roles. That would be absolutely nasty, and given how much depth exists at the Niners' position of needs in this class, they can afford it.
In the modern NFL, you can never have too much CB help, especially in a division where you face Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Puka Nacua (and Davante Adams), and Marvin Harrison Jr. twice a year. And with this team's injury luck, the more guys they can trust to assume starting roles if needed, the better.
The only reason fans should be apprehensive is because corner isn't the biggest need, but as far as surprise Round 1 picks go, Hood is as good as it gets.
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