Seahawks Rookie Coby Bryant ‘Just Getting Warmed Up,’ Says Coach Pete Carroll

Seattle Seahawks rookie cornerback Coby Bryant has probably not reached his full potential seven games into in his NFL career.

And if that’s truly the case, opposing offenses will continue to have a ton to worry about, starting this Sunday when the Seahawks host the New York Giants (6-1) at Lumen Field.

“We are just getting warmed up here,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “He was raw from the start. We’re seven weeks old and he’s extensively better than he was from when we were starting this thing up. He’s taking advantage of it.”

Bryant was drafted in the fourth round out of Cincinnati with the expectation that he'd be a solid contributor as the season progressed.

Instead, he's turned into a budding star in a matter of weeks. Bryant leads all NFL players with four forced fumbles, showing a true knack to be an aggressive defender once he sees an opportunity open up.

He didn't force a fumble in Sunday's 37-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, which ended a three-game streak of him doing so. But Bryant was still a major part of a second straight out-of-nowhere performance from a Seattle defense that has seen a sudden awakening the past two weeks after struggling early.

"It didn’t even phase him," Carroll said of Bryant's workload on defense. "It wasn’t like he was overloaded or nothing, but gosh he is getting better ... He’s just going to keep on getting better and he’ll see more opportunities to make more plays."

Bryant could be in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year if not for his teammate in the secondary Tariq Woolen, who is tied for a league-leading four interceptions this season. Unprecedented stuff is happening for Seattle's rookie class this season and Bryant is at the center of it all.

He even lined up a bit at linebacker against the Chargers, something Carroll said was by design.

“Yeah, I noticed that," Carroll said. "It’s really just an indication of how we trust him as he is growing into the position. Our coaches had a way to do that, that wasn’t by accident. But his versatility is something that we have experimented with, and we may do it again. I don’t know.”

The Seahawks will need every contribution from Bryant they can get in order to topple the 6-1 Giants at home on Sunday and remain atop the NFC West at the midway point in the season.

Seattle and New York kickoff at 1:25 p.m. PT.

Hey, 12s! Get your Seahawks Tickets from SI Tickets ... HERE!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.

Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook

Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.