New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh is not ready to sour on either of his high-profile rookies, even with one drawing early criticism and the other being asked to do more after a major injury elsewhere on the defense.
Inside linebacker Arvell Reese is starting to play with the freedom the staff hoped to see. Harbaugh said Reese is beginning to cut it loose and find his sea legs after getting beaten on a coverage or two in Los Angeles. He framed those mistakes as fuel rather than a setback.
"This guy learns from stuff like that. He grows so fast," Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday. "This kid was all over the field. He was flying around sideline to sideline. I hope he can keep building off of that. I've not seen him take any steps back yet,
which is pretty incredible."
Harbaugh called Reese very coachable, very smart, and very football aware. With outside linebacker Brian Burns done for the season, the staff is also open to moving Reese around, including back to the edge, where many evaluators projected him before the draft.
Harbaugh noted Reese has already lined up there this year and called the versatility another bonus, while adding that a young player or two will get more chances as well.
At cornerback, Harbaugh pushed back on the premise that Colton Hood is off to a difficult start. He said he does not grade the rookie the way some outside observers do, and that improvement from week to week is the standard that matters.
"I thought he's improved each game. And that's really, to me, the definer," Harbaugh said. "It's a big stage. It's a tough position. And I don't know how many rookie cornerbacks out there are just dominating."
Harbaugh acknowledged coverage got loose a couple of times and said Hood has not been great, but he thought the rookie played better in the most recent game than the one before it. He expects that trend to continue against the Arizona Cardinals.
"I'm quite sure that Colton Hood's going to be a really great player for us out there," Harbaugh said. "I'll bet you he plays better the next game than he did the last game."
The message was consistent on both rookies. Early bumps are part of the job, and the Giants are judging the trajectory more than the box score. Harbaugh said he is not down on Hood at all. He is excited for him, and he has yet to see Reese take a step back.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' John Harbaugh sees growth from Arvell Reese, Colton Hood
