Some NFL executives don't quite understand what the New York Giants are doing.
The New York Giants surprised a whole lot of people by selecting Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick of the NFL Draft, but it was equally surprising that Reese was even on the board at that spot.
The Giants clearly took who they felt was the best player available, regardless of the fact that they already had three similar players in Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
While most Big Blue fans were over the moon that the team was able to snatch Reese, some inside in the NFL are puzzled.
A few executives told Mike Sando of The Athletic that they didn't quite understand what New York was doing by taking Reese.
“The Jets, I can at least look at and say, ‘OK, got a lot of pieces, still don’t have a QB, but you have all this ammunition next year, with three first-round picks,’” one exec said. “If this was the Giants’ one swing, ‘OK, but are they better?’”
Another executive was even more harsh in his assessment of the G-Men.
“I just don’t feel like there is much of a plan,” the other exec said. “Did they replace Dexter Lawrence? You can’t keep on trading your good players. You aren’t going to replace Dexter Lawrence with the 10th pick in most drafts, let alone this one. And considering the amount of money that Dexter Lawrence signed for (one-year, $28 million extension), like, how could you not get that done? What happened?”
New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese with owner John Mara, head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen. Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images.I actually think that particular assessment was pretty silly. Lawrence managed 31 tackles, a half of a sack and eight quarterback hits in 2025. The fact that the Giants were able to get the No. 10 overall selection — which they used to take Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa — was an absolute steal.
A third executive, however, had a much more reasonable criticism ... at least to an extent.
“They should have drafted Sonny Styles, because he’s the one that got Reese lined up every day, and I think was better than Reese,” the exec said. “Reese just disappeared in some of those games. They are talking about playing him off the ball, but if they wanted an off-the-ball linebacker, take Styles. He’d be the leader, the captain, the culture, the play style — everything you want from John Harbaugh’s guy.”
I completely concur with the questions about Reese. I do not, however, agree with the notion that New York should have selected Styles instead.
If the Giants weren't going to nab Reese, the play should have been to either trade out of the No. 5 pick to acquire more draft capital or selecting LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who went one pick later to the Kansas City Chiefs (who traded up from No. 9 to net him, by the way).
New York seems to be planning on using Reese as an off-ball linebacker, much like the way he played at Ohio State. This even though Reese — who logged 6.5 sacks during his final season with the Buckeyes — has shown clear potential as an edge rusher. You also typically don't want to take an off-ball linebacker within the top five.
It's entirely fair to question the Giants' decision to take Reese when they had far more pressing needs, but I don't really see eye-to-eye with the rest of details here.
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