The New York Giants may have made quite a mistake in the NFL Draft.
The New York Giants pulled off quite a surprise by selecting Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft, this even though they absolutely did not need a player like Reese.
The Giants already had three very similar pass rushers in Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and while Reese did play in an off-ball role with the Buckeyes, most viewed him as an edge heading into the draft.
Nevertheless, New York stayed put at at No. 5 and took him, this in spite of the fact that the Giants had some glaring roster needs and would have largely benefited from trading down to acquire some more capital.
And apparently, Big Blue had the opportunity to do just that, but once John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen saw Reese slip, they pounced.
“We had a couple players in mind that if they were there (at No. 5) we were going to stay,” Schoen said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We had a couple opportunities to potentially move back."
Clearly, the Giants were enamored with Reese, much like many other NFL teams. However, Reese's fit in the Big Apple is definitely awkward.
New York Giants owner John Mara, head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen with linebacker Arvell Reese. Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images.How the Giants deploy Reese remains to be seen. Remember: last year, Carter didn't really break out until Thibodeaux got hurt and missed the last seven games of the season, which was concrete evidence of New York's glut at the position.
Now, you're throwing Reese into the mix, as well, and while the Giants might use him off ball rather than on the edge, it still creates a logjam that will probably result in at least one unhappy camper ... specifically Thibodeaux.
New York could always trade Thibodeaux, but it seems pretty dead set on keeping him right now. Or at least until it can find an enticing offer.
As for the decision to select Reese rather than trade down? Let me just say this: the Giants better hope that the Ohio State product develops like they hope.
New York had dire needs at cornerback and defensive tackle going into the draft, and while it did nab Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood at No. 37, it didn't select an interior defender defender until grabbing Auburn's Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round.
The Giants were in a position where they had some very specific needs they had to fill. They weren't like the New York Jets, who had a largely barren roster and simply needed to take the best players available.
And somewhat, the G-Men did that, addressing their offensive line by taking Francis Mauigoa at No. 10 as well as snatching Hood and, in the third round, wide receiver Malachi Fields. But the defensive tackle hole is huge, and it's one that almost certainly could have been rectified earlier than Round 6 had the Giants had more picks.
If Reese pans out, then this point will largely be moot, but even then, was it worth drafting a player at a position of strength when there were so many obvious holes?
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