John Harbaugh used his Wednesday availability to explain two defensive evaluations that have followed the New York Giants into the season: Why Arvell Reese was always an interior linebacker, and why Abdul Carter should be equipped for a larger share of the edge work with Brian Burns out.
Reese was widely discussed as an edge prospect before New York took him fifth overall in the 2026 NFL draft. Harbaugh said the pre-draft debate did not match what the staff saw.
"That's what he played. So, it was easy. You watched him on tape and he played it really well," Harbaugh told reporters. "And I could see where they might have said, 'Well, he's young, he hasn't played a lot. He's 20 years old,' and all that, but he played it really well at Ohio State
against the best teams in the country in a pretty complicated defensive system that they have over there. So, yeah, it was, to me, the evidence was right there."
The tackling profile was part of what made him attractive. Harbaugh called it no-hesitation tackling: Arriving quickly, giving the ball carrier little chance to make a miss, and still hitting the target. He said that combination is rare, because a defender who commits that early can also miss.
"He's got that unique kind of just talent to get there quickly and still hit his target, if that makes sense," Harbaugh said. "And you see it, he's doing it now, he's doing a great job."
Carter's week raised a separate question. In the first game without Burns, he had three quarterback hits. Harbaugh said Carter has been disruptive against both the run and the pass in every game, and that Sunday was probably his best. Burns was out, and opponents knew it. If that absence produces more doubles and shaded attention, Harbaugh does not expect Carter to shrink from it.
"He was given as much as required, right? So, he'll have to take on the responsibility of more attention," Harbaugh said. "But I would guess that Abdul relishes that. That's what he wants. I'd be willing to bet that he'll rise to the occasion."
The Giants will carry both of those bets into the Washington week: Reese playing the position the tape already showed, and Carter asked to handle a heavier share of the edge plan.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants prepared to lean more heavily on Arvell Reese, Abdul Carter
