When the New York Giants came on the clock at No. 5 during the 2026 NFL Draft, not many people expected Ohio State’s Arvell Reese to be available for the taking.
Somehow, the player who was considered by some to be the best defensive prospect in the entire class was right there, and the Giants pounced.
At first, there were some major questions. After all, the Giants already have three former first-round linebackers on the roster in Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter.
But things have started to make more sense early on in OTAs and minicamp, as the plan for the utilization of Reese’s skillset is starting to become clearer.
Arvell Reese Understands Giants’ Plan For Him
It seems like, rather than trotting out Reese as a full-time pass rusher in his rookie season, the New York Giants will mostly be utilizing the jack-of-all-trades defender as an on-ball linebacker.
Of course, Reese will have opportunities to get after opposing quarterbacks, but for now, it seems like the Giants have a plan.
“I think I’ve got a good understanding right now,” Reese told reporters when asked about his role in 2026. “Yeah, I love it. I love where I’m at right now, like, the role I’m gonna be in, how they gonna use me, put me in good situations.
“I’m actually happy it ended up this way. I think this is the perfect situation for me. Me being able to play linebacker, and then when it’s time to, you know, get unique with me. But, just playing linebacker, I feel like that’s where I’m most comfortable playing.”
Throughout the pre-draft process, Reese was projected to be a pass rusher, thanks to his athleticism and other traits.
But he spent most of his time at linebacker with the Buckeyes, and did just about everything for Ohio State, including setting the edge against the run, playing in coverage, and of course, chasing quarterbacks.
Maybe one day, Reese will eventually hit that pass rush ceiling that’s expected of him, but for now, New York is going to use him the way he feels the most comfortable, and that’s in the middle of the defense.
Arvell Reese Has the Perfect Mentor
Despite playing linebacker in college, playing in the NFL is going to be a transitional process for Reese. Luckily, the New York Giants gave him a veteran to learn from, and that’s Tremaine Edmunds.
Edmunds, who was most recently with the Chicago Bears, signed with the Giants this offseason. He’ll wear the green dot on Sundays, while Reese does what he does best as a rangy playmaker.
Regardless, it’s evident Edmunds has taken the rookie under his wing, and Reese said as much to reporters.
“He a great leader. You know, I feel like he lead the defense well, he communicate well. He’s been on me about communicating every play, so that’s how we do every play, we’re making sure we’re talking to each other,” Reese told the media.
“Great in space, great in coverage. He a lengthy guy, so he got a bunch of good traits about him.”
It remains to be seen just how big an impact Reese will make in his rookie season with the Giants, but for all intents and purposes, he seems to be on the right track.
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