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The New York Giants were widely praised for selecting Ohio State running back Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Joel Klatt, FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst, was among those who praised the selection, but not only because Reese will bolster the Giants’ pass rush.
On the most recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt pointed out the competition the Giants will face in the NFC East and explained why Reese was a strong pick.
“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-highest number of dropbacks that ended up being scrambled: 20% of his dropbacks ended up being scrambled.
“Now you have someone who can handle that and do it basically alone.” [in Reese]. So it’s a perfect fit not only because he’s a great player, but also because of who he plays.”
In fact, the Giants were able 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 rushed for 68 yards in the only game he played against the Giants in 2025.
Still, the Giants could use the boost of talent Reese should bring to their defense. They were bottom five in total defense, tied for 15th in sacks and 28th in win rate.
While Reese has been labeled as an edge rusher in the lead-up to the draft, he also played off-ball linebacker at Ohio State. Klatt, who had Reese ranked third among his top 50 prospects, believes the 6-foot-3 defensive standout’s versatility will be a boon for New York’s defense, citing a couple of his performances during his days in Columbus as a reason.
“One of the ways he had a tremendous impact last year for Ohio State was as a spy because of the athleticism that he has. 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 wrestlers in all of college football. He couldn’t do anything against Ohio State, mainly because of Arvell Reese. Reese was spying on him, he was watching him and he couldn’t create out of the pocket.”
According to Klatt, Williams had -28 rushing yards in that game and was sacked six times in Ohio State’s win over Washington. Reese didn’t record any of those sacks, but he helped slow down Williams on multiple 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 hired 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.
