New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese is already generating buzz in training camp.
When the New York Giants selected linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft back in April, many wondered exactly where he would fit.
I was one of those people.
The Giants already had three edge rushers in Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. They didn't need another one.
Well, New York planned all along to play Reese at inside linebacker alongside of Tremaine Edmunds, giving the Giants a sledgehammer of a duo in the middle.
But clearly, John Harbaugh also planned on utilizing Reese — who registered 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks during his final season at Ohio State — as a defensive chess piece.
That was on full display in New York's training camp session on Monday, when Reese flashed tantalizing potential in all aspects of the game.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic outlined one play in particular that had mouths watering, and it was when Reese registered a sack while lining up on the edge.
New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese. Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images."The most intriguing play of practice came in the first-team offense’s two-minute drive at the end of practice. Trailing by five points with 56 seconds remaining, the offense started at the defense’s 48-yard line. On third-and-5, Reese beat left tackle Andrew Thomas around the edge for a sack," Duggan wrote. "Reese hadn’t moved around much early in camp, but his versatility is what gives him the potential to be a game-changer."
Many had projected Reese as a long-term edge rusher when he came out of college, so the fact that he lined up on the edge in this one instance shouldn't have been too surprising.
But it demonstrates just how the Giants plan on using the rookie during his first season.
How many opportunities will Reese actually get to rush the passer? No one knows for sure. Again, New York already has a collection of terrific pass rushers, and Reese's nominal position is not generally known for racking up sacks.
However, players like Demario Davis and Devin White has recorded quite a few sacks throughout their respective careers while lining up at middle linebacker, so perhaps Reese will get that chance, as well.
It should also be noted that Reese did a tremendous job stuffing the run and blowing up plays in the backfield throughout that Monday practice, so he was dominant in all facets.
But it's Reese's potential as a pass rusher that definitely makes him even more of a game-wrecker, and that could be demonstrated as soon as Week 1.
