Jason Leach
It was highly expected that the New York Giants would take an Ohio State Buckeye with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But few expected it to be linebacker Arvell Reese.
Many were expecting Reese to be taken second or third overall, but when he slipped and was still on the board with the Giants on the clock, the team didn’t hesitate to draft him.
The 6’4 243-pound linebacker had 69 tackles and six and a half sacks in his final season at Ohio State in 2025, and was a Consensus All-American. The selection comes as a surprise since the team already has edge rushers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. But he did play inside linebacker prior to 2025. It will ultimately be up to defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson to find ways to utilize Reese’s ability to make sure he has a successful rookie season.
After the selection of Reese, the team took University of Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa with the 10th overall pick. Mauigoa appeared in 42 games in his three years in Miami. Although the 6’5 329-pound All-American tackle was viewed by many as the best tackle in the league, this was also a bit of a shocker. The team re-signed right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to a three-year, $39 million contract this offseason, and Mauigoa has a herniated disc.
But the team is obviously not concerned about his injury history, and they will look to move either him or Eluemunor inside to play guard. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds during training camp.
What We Learned From The Giants in Round 1
For months, there was speculation that New York was high on Caleb Downs and could possibly take him with their first pick, or with the 10th pick they acquired from trading Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals. But that appeared to be a smoke screen as the team passed on him twice.
Downs will try to show that New York made a mistake by passing up on him, as he will play them twice a year, as the Dallas Cowboys took him with the 11th overall pick.
With the selection of Reese it’s apparent that Kayvon Thibodeaux’s time in New York is coming to an end. He’s entering the final year of his contract, and his role was already in question with Burns and Carter on the roster. Now with another prominent pass rusher on the team, expect the team to move on from the 25-year-old edge rusher.
The Giants currently do not have a third-round pick and could try to trade Thibodeaux on Day 2 of the draft to acquire one. New York’s next pick will be the 37th overall, where they could take either a wide receiver or a defensive tackle.
