The New York Giants have received a rather unfortunate outlook regarding two of their rookies.
The New York Giants had a pair of top-10 picks in this year's NFL Draft and ultimately selected Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 and then chose Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa five slots later.
The general consensus is that the Giants did incredibly well from a talent perspective, even though some have questioned the fit — particularly with Reese.
That being said, most are expecting both Reese and Mauigoa to get significant playing time right off the bat, and let's remember that many viewed Reese as the draft's top overall player and Mauigoa as the best offensive lineman.
Mike Renner of CBS Sports, however, seems to disagree. At least in terms of the early impact Reese an Mauigoa will make.
Renner put together his All-Rookie Team for 2026, and he conspicuously snubbed both Giants first-rounders, choosing Kadyn Proctor and Olaivavega Ioane at the guard spots and snubbing Reese at both linebacker and edge rusher.
More specifically, Renner tabbed Jacob Rodriguez and Sonny Styles at the former position and Rueben Bain and David Bailey at the latter.
Let me start by saying that Renner's reluctance regarding Reese is understandable.
New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese. Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images.The 20-year-old does not really have a clear-cut position. He played off-ball linebacker in college, but he also registered 6.5 sacks during his final season with the Buckeyes, leading most to believe he would be an edge on the NFL level.
New York already has three more than capable edge rushers in Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, meaning that Reese will probably have to play inside alongside of Tremaine Edmunds next season.
And while Reese definitely exhibited tremendous potential in 2025, there is no question that both Bain and Bailey have more established track record as pass rushers.
Rodriguez and Styles were intriguing choices, but at the current point in time, they seem like more "pure" linebackers than Reese, who is really a hybrid.
Mauigoa's omission is a bit more debatable.
Yes, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound mauler played tackle in college, but he should have no problem moving inside for the Giants, who have Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor on the outside.
Again, many had Mauigoa pegged as the No. 1 offensive lineman on the board heading into the draft, so leaving him off the All-Rookie Team entirely seems sketchy.
All things considered, we know by now that none of these opinions really matter. The only important thing is how Reese and Mauigoa actually perform in 2026 and beyond.
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