EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The NFL season is still more than four months away, and new New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh is taking a measured approach to building his team. At Saturday's second and final rookie minicamp session, the emphasis wasn't on fierce competition but rather on preparation and learning.

"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 deliberate pace is by design. With top-10 draft picks like linebacker Arvell Reese and defensive lineman Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa in the mix, Harbaugh wants these rookies to understand that minicamp is about building a foundation for what's ahead. The real physicality and competition will come later, when veterans join for organized team activities, mandatory minicamp, and training camp at The Greenbrier in West Virginia starting in late July.

"The true competition comes in the preseason games," Harbaugh added. "That's when you can say it's the most competitive. I'd say it's kind of a ramp up to that."

Harbaugh brings serious credentials to his new role. After 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, he boasts a Super Bowl win, 12 playoff appearances, and six more postseason trips as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. His experience is already resonating with players, including a familiar face on the roster.

Cornerback Colton Hood, drafted in the second round out of Tennessee, has a unique connection to his new coach. Harbaugh previously worked with Hood's uncle, former Eagles defensive back Rod Hood. For Colton, rookie minicamp was his first chance to take the field under Harbaugh's direction.

"My uncle told me what to expect, and it was everything that I expected," Hood said after a standout play where he ripped the ball from tryout running back Miles Davis for an interception. "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."

For now, the Giants are taking it slow, but the foundation being laid in these early sessions will set the tone for what promises to be an intriguing season ahead.