The New York Giants chose Ohio State EDGE rusher Arvell Reese with the No. 5 pick.
It is the second straight year the Giants have chosen an EDGE rusher and the third time in the past six drafts. New York, of course, landed Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but went with another outside linebacker in Reese Thursday.
Reese was projected to land as high as No. 2 overall to the New York Jets. But once he fell past the Jets — they selected David Bailey from Texas Tech — Reese landed with the Giants.
Arvell Reese is a Ultra-Skilled Hybrid Outside Linebacker/EDGE
The Giants were projected for weeks by many to land an Ohio State defensive player, but it wasn’t Reese. New York had been tied to either linebacker Sonny Styles or safety Caleb Downs.
Still, Reese falling to them is a coup. He was ranked by Mel Kiper Jr. as the No. 3 overall player in the draft by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. — narrowly ahead of Styles.
“This is a complete football player,” Kiper wrote for ESPN.com on Thursday. “Reese jumps off the Ohio State tape, playing the game like a veteran. I see natural instincts at the linebacker position that allow him to make plays most guys just can’t make, and he has the burst to get home when turned loose as a pass rusher. Reese has been a big riser in this class and brings a ton of potential to the table.”
Reese had 69 tackles, 35 solo tackles, and 6.5 sacks in his second year in Ohio State, helping them reach the College Football Playoff for the second straight season. Though he is just 20 years old, Reese is considered both a pass rusher but also a player who can set the edge at outside linebacker and defend against the run.
“He’s a hybrid defender who is used both as an off-ball linebacker and off the edge,” ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid breaking down Reese, who was also ranked as his No. 4 prospect. “Because of his explosiveness, I like Reese more as an off-ball linebacker that’s used interchangeably off of the edge in sub-packages and special looks. I believe Reese, who had 6.5 sacks last season, has Pro Bowl potential early in his NFL career.”
Drafting Arvell Reese Will Make a Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade Easier to Swallow
The Giants already shipped out Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals to acquire a second top-10 pick, which they used to select Francis Mauioga from Miami.
It’s no secret they are trying to trade Kayvon Thibodeaux as well, so by selecting Reese, the Giants have effectively drafted Thibodeaux’s replacement — even though both players are still on the roster.
The Giants may be remaking their defensive line under first-year coach John Harbaugh. But it is arguably better — and younger — than the dream-team front four they went into battle with a year ago, even though they still have to find Lawrence’s replacement.
Giants fans certainly know that good teams win in the trenches, especially with game-wrecking defensive linemen. The Giants finished tied for 16th in the NFL in sacks in 2025 (), even despite Brian Burns‘ 16.5.
With Reese joining the fold, and Carter likely to be more focused under a stricter regime, that number should only jump in 2026.
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