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The New York Giants were widely praised for selecting Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt was among those praising the pick, but not just because Reese will bolster the Giants’ pass rush.
On the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt pointed to the competition the Giants will face in the NFC East as to why Reese was a strong selection.
“Who does [the Giants] see twice a year? They see Jalen Hurts and they see Jayden Daniels,” Klatt said. “Jalen Hurts specifically had the second most drop backs that ended up being scrambles — 20% of his drop backs ended up being scrambles.
“Now you have a guy who can handle it and pretty much do it himself [in Reese]. So it’s a good fit, not just because he’s a great player, but also because of who they’re playing.”
The Giants were actually able to contain Hurts this past season, sacking him seven times and allowing him to rush for just 35 yards over two games. But Daniels rushed for 68 yards in the only game he played against the Giants in 2025.
Still, the Giants could use the boost of talent that Reese should bring to their defense. They were in the bottom five in total defense, tied for 15th in sacks and 28th in run-stop win rate.
While Reese has been labeled an edge rusher in the lead-up to the draft, he also played plenty of off-ball linebacker at Ohio State. Klatt, who had Reese third on his top-50 prospects big board, believes the 6-foot-3 defensive standout’s versatility will be a boon to New York’s defense, citing a few of his accomplishments during his days in Columbus as a reason why.
“One of the ways he made a huge impact last year for Ohio State was as a scout because of the athleticism that he has. And it’s true, I think his athleticism is off the charts. We saw it against Arch Manning and we saw it against Demond Williams Jr.,” Klatt said on Monday’s edition of “The Joel Klatt Show.”
“Demond Williams Jr. was one of the great scramblers in all of college football. He couldn’t do anything against Ohio State, mainly because of Arvell Reese. Reese was spying on him and he was watching him and he couldn’t create outside the pocket.”
To Klatt’s point, Williams put up minus-28 rushing yards in that game as he was sacked six times in Ohio State’s win over Washington. Reese didn’t log any of those sacks, but he helped slow down Williams’ process on several occasions, leading to sacks.
The Giants finished the season 4-13 and fired former head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen in November after Daboll’s 2-8 start. In the offseason, New York turned to hire John Harbaugh, bringing in the veteran head coach shortly after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens in January. With a playoff-caliber coach in Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson in place, Reese’s talent could help rebuild the defensive side of the ball this season, as some believe he can help the Giants turn things around quickly.
