NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The New York Giants were widely praised for selecting Ohio State tight end Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. FOX Sports senior college football analyst Joel Klatt was among those who praised the selection, but not just because Reese will bolster the Giants’ pass rush.
On the most recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt highlighted the competition the Giants will face in the NFC East and explained why Reese was a solid 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 number of dropbacks that ended up being scrambles – 20% of his dropbacks ended up being scrambles.
“Now you have a guy who can handle this and do it on his own. [in Reese]. So he’s a good choice, not only because he’s a great player, but also because of who he plays for.”
The Giants actually managed to keep Hurts in check last season, sacking him seven times and allowing him to rush for just 35 yards in two games. But Daniels ran for 68 yards in the only game he played against the Giants in 2025.
Still, the Giants could use the talent Reese is expected to bring to their defense. They were bottom five in total defense, tied for 15th in sacks and 28th in save rate.
While Reese was labeled as an edge rusher before the draft, he also played plenty of off-ball linebacker at Ohio State. Klatt, who ranked Reese third in his top 50 prospects, believes the 6-foot-3 defensive versatility will be a boon for New York’s defense, citing two of his performances during his years in Columbus as the reason.
“One of the ways he had a huge impact last year for Ohio State was as a scout because of his athleticism. And it’s true, I mean his athleticism is off the charts. We saw it against Arch Manning, and we also 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 jammers 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 guarding him, and he couldn’t create outside of the pocket.”
Going back to Klatt’s point, Williams recorded minus-28 rushing yards in this game while he was sacked six times in Ohio State’s win over Washington. Reese didn’t record any of those sacks, but he helped slow Williams’ process on several occasions, leading to sacks.
The Giants finished the season with a 4-13 record and fired former head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen in November following Daboll’s 2-8 start. During the offseason, New York turned to 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 revive the defensive side of the ball this season, as some believe he can help the Giants turn things around quickly.
