The Good, the Great and the Ugly of Giants’ 'Draft Steal' Arvell Reese

The New York Giants needed an inside linebacker; there was no doubt about it. Yes, they waived Bobby Okereke and signed Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, but the issue wasn't Okereke in 2025. It was that nobody was next to Okereke who could play to his level.

So, while there were thoughts about drafting running backs, receivers, and defensive backs, it made sense when the Giants were on the clock at pick 5: Arvel Reese was the name they quickly submitted.

Early in the draft process, people were talking about Arvel Reese to the Giants until it became pretty evident that most believed he would go before the Giants ever had a chance to pick at number five.

But on draft night, when David Bailey went number two to the Jets and was followed by two offensive players, Jeremiah Love going to the Cardinals, and Carnell Tate being drafted by the Titans, Arvel Reese fell into the Giants' lap in one of the most fortunate situations they could hope for.

Reese gives the Giants a running mate for Tremaine Edmonds: another guy who is adept at getting to the quarterback and a potential defensive leader well into the future.

Let's check out the good, the great, and the ugly of the Giants' newest defensive weapon.

The Good: Versatility

The Good of new #NYGiants linebacker Arvell Reese is his versatility. It's not just where he can line up, it's how he can be utilized. pic.twitter.com/nLbcQtjWiJ
— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) May 13, 2026

Reese up all over the field in 2025, and there is no reason to believe the Giants and their new defensive brain trust won't utilize similar game plans for Reese, especially with the versatility of some of their other pieces.

It's not as simple as where he lines up; it's what he's asked to do when he lines up there. They put him down in the three-technique and rush the passer. They'll have him in the three-technique and spy the quarterback or drop into coverage.

He will line up on the edge and be a force player, or he will line up on the edge and drop into coverage.

He rushes from the outside, on the interior, and he blitzes from the second level. He does it all with his patented fearlessness and physicality.

The Great: Downhill Ferocity

The Great of new #NYGiants linebacker Arvell Reese is his downhill ferocity. That is where he is at his most disruptive and destructive. pic.twitter.com/mLmEuPca5B
— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) May 13, 2026

Reese's best trait is his ability to come downhill and strike.

When he is going forward, he is at his most destructive. From the second level as a linebacker, he comes downhill, shoots gaps, and makes tackles in the backfield.

He's able to blitz the quarterback from depth and use his speed to close the distance quickly before offensive linemen can adjust to him.

When he's on the line of scrimmage, he uses his power to propel himself forward, knock blockers back, and make tackles in the backfield for one-yard gains.

His physicality is akin to a stick of dynamite; it looks small and unimposing until you see the destruction it causes.

Reese's immediate value should be felt as a sideline-to-sideline chaser who has the ability to go downhill and thump a ball carrier.

The Ugly: Consistently Detaching from Blocks

The Ugly of new #NYGiants linebacker Arvell Reese is that he sometimes finds it difficult to attach from blocks. pic.twitter.com/4Snw04kdmz
— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) May 13, 2026

One of the places Reese struggles the most is with detaching from blockers. If he is the aggressor, meaning he is coming downhill and he has his hands on the blocker, it becomes an easier task.

However, if he allows the offensive lineman to engage first or catch him off balance, it is much more difficult for him to get away from those blockers.

The results are added yardage for the running back, who is able to get by Reese without him making a play on the ball. In the NFL, where offensive linemen are not only big but athletic, it will be even more difficult for Reese to run freely at the second level.

He will have to get more cunning in his movements, making linemen miss or avoiding blocks altogether. He will also have to get better at using his hands at the second level to ensure that linemen don't cover him up.

Coach’s Corner

The biggest thing the Giants will need to worry about is resisting the temptation to not allow Reese to get comfortable simply playing an off-ball linebacker position.

You always default to putting him on the line of scrimmage and letting him use his physicality and athleticism to rush the passer or play against the run there.

But unless they allow him to get better at diagnosing schemes and running plays from the secondary level, then he will never become what they believe he can be as a linebacker.

The mistake the Cardinals and the Giants made with Isaiah Simmons was trying to put him everywhere and not allowing him to be comfortable in just one place, playing one position.

While they may have a package or two to put him in other places, his primary responsibility as a rookie should be to play linebacker and only off-ball linebacker. Once he has that down, then the rest becomes elementary.

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