Hood has been learning hard lessons from some of the NFL's most-skilled wide receivers. Getty
John Harbaugh's worked with enough talent in the NFL to know when to be concerned about a player and when to trust the process. The latter is exactly what the New York Giants' head coach intends to do about a rookie who's endured a "rough" start to life in the pros.
Harbaugh was asked about cornerback Colton Hood's "difficult start" when he spoke with the media on Thursday, October 1. The coach responded by asking "what constitutes a rough start for a rookie corner in the National Football League and who are you comparing him against? Who are the rookies you're comparing him against?"
Hood, the Giants' second-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft has experienced some tough reps in coverage, but Harbaugh isn't concerned. In fact, the 63-year-old thinks the rookie's "done pretty good. Has he done great? No. There's a couple times where coverage has gotten a little loose. I'm quite sure that Colton Hood is going to be a really great player for us out there. And I thought he played better this last game than he did the game before. I'll bet you he plays better the next game than he did the last game. To me, that's the defining trait. I'm not down on him at all. I'm actually kind of excited for him," per Giants.com Director Dan Salomone.
This is a mature response from an experienced coach who knows patience can be the key early in a player's career.
Hood's part of a pass defense that's allowed seven touchdowns through the air across three games. He's had some plays he'd like back, but the former Tennessee star's performances will improve once the Giants can generate more pressure up front.
Hood is credited with giving up three touchdowns already. He's also allowed quarterbacks to complete 76.9 percent of their passes when throwing his way, per Pro Football Reference .
The Giants don't want to see those numbers from a top-40 pick, but it's important to remember Hood's only 21. He's also part of a secondary decimated by injuries at the cornerback position.
GettyHood has been learning hard lessons from some of the NFL's most-skilled wide receivers.
A run of tough luck began when $54 million corner Paulson Adebo landed on injured reserve with a knee problem . Meanwhile, a calf issue has robbed the Giants of starter Deonte Banks for the last two games.
Hood was drafted to challenge underperforming cover men like Banks, but a steep learning curve was inevitable. The rookie's struggles in new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's schemes are part of the Giants surrendering 224.7 net passing yards a game, according to ESPN .
It will help Hood and others if the Giants' edge-rushers finally start getting to quarterbacks more often. Wilson struck a similar note to Harbaugh when talking about the lack of pressure.
Wilson's unit has registered only one sack through nine quarters. It's nowhere close to good enough for a defense with two top-five picks, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux , at the edges of the front seven.
The Giants have received some advice for how to fix their pass rush from a popular former defensive coordinator . Yet, Wilson isn't sounding the call for change.
Instead, the play-caller is preaching patience. He assured reporters more pressure is "going to come, be patient. When it comes, it just keeps coming – just like interceptions, takeaways. Once you get one, you start to feed off it. It will come, be patient. Maybe the dam breaks this week, you don't know," per SNY Giants .
Fans might've hoped for a more exciting answer from Wilson about how the Giants intend to generate pressure after losing their best pass-rusher, three-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns , to a season-ending knee injury that's even worse than first thought .
Asking for patience is also a tough sell when Carter and Thibodeaux have consistently struggled to live up to their draft billing. It's a different story for Hood, who's just starting out, so he gets the benefit of the doubt for now.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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