EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh is taking a measured approach as he settles into his new role, with his first meaningful game still more than four months away.
Saturday’s concluding rookie minicamp session intentionally avoided physical contact. Harbaugh emphasized to high draft selections Arvell Reese and Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa, along with other participants, that the weekend served as preparation for upcoming offseason workouts rather than a competitive evaluation.
“This is not a camp where you’re trying to go out there and make plays,” Harbaugh explained. “There really are no plays to be made. It’s a rehearsal type of camp. … We’re going to kind of do the dance, so to speak, of football. We’re not actually competing against one another.”
The real competition will emerge during organized team activities, mandatory minicamp, and training camp, which kicks off in late July at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. Following an 18-year tenure with Baltimore, Harbaugh is implementing a methodical strategy for his fresh opportunity, with genuine evaluations still months ahead.
“The true competition comes in the preseason games,” Harbaugh noted. “That’s when you can say it’s the most competitive. I’d say it’s kind of a ramp up to that.”
Harbaugh’s credentials include a Super Bowl victory and 12 playoff appearances with Baltimore, plus six additional postseason trips as a Philadelphia assistant coach.
During his time with Philadelphia, Harbaugh coached defensive back Rod Hood. Now, the Giants selected Rod’s nephew Colton Hood, a Tennessee cornerback, in the second round. The rookie minicamp marked Colton Hood’s first chance to work under Harbaugh’s guidance.
“My uncle told me what to expect, and it was everything that I expected,” Hood commented after making Saturday’s standout play — an interception where he stripped the ball from tryout running back Miles Davis. “Just hard-nosed coach, old-school, but he loves his players. He wants them to be great, so it’s that tough love kind of thing.”
Given Harbaugh’s special teams expertise, the upcoming months will feature an intriguing kicking battle. The Giants signed Michigan’s Dominic Zvada as an undrafted free agent to challenge returning kicker Ben Sauls and newly acquired veteran Jason Sanders.
“We’ll kick field goals, I think, every other practice,” Harbaugh said. “We may be kicking them every practice because we’ve got three guys to kick, and we’ll just see how it shakes out.”
Zvada connected on 95.5% of his field goal attempts in 2024, leading the nation, but dropped to 68% the following season. Standing 6-foot-3, Zvada is “big for a kicker,” according to Harbaugh, who praised his leg strength.
“More than anything just the consistency,” Harbaugh said. “He does a nice job of getting downfield through the kick, and because of that he tends to kick a straight ball consistently. If you do that, you probably have a chance.”
Reese’s availability at the fifth overall pick caught some by surprise, and the organization is now working to optimize the Ohio State standout’s potential, as assistant general manager Brandon Brown described.
The team envisions Reese as a weak-side linebacker rather than an edge rusher like other franchises might, and his rookie minicamp debut left a positive impression.
“Picks things up really quick,” Harbaugh observed. “Very serious-minded, very diligent about the assignments. I don’t think he got one assignment wrong throughout the two days, which is great to see.”
Despite receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s workout with New York last month, no contract has emerged and may not materialize. Harbaugh revealed he spoke with Beckham multiple times recently while the 33-year-old trains in Arizona, though no deal appears close.
“It’s got to be right for both parties,” Harbaugh explained. “I’m pretty sure that he can make a team in the National Football League right now, but can he make a difference? It’s something he wants to do. Is his body going to hold up in the way he wants it to? And all those things are questions that need to get answered for anybody at that age.”
Beckham hasn’t appeared in an NFL contest since December 8, 2024.
