Apparently, never, when it comes to the Giants and edge rushers.
They came up with a draft day stunner Thursday night, selecting Avrell Reese from Ohio State with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Arvell Reese of Ohio State speaks during a press conference at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images There is no doubt Reese is a top-tier prospect and worthy of a top-5 pick. The question with this pick for this team is that the Giants are loaded at the position Reese plays. They have Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux on their roster, all worthy of starting roles. Reese is not an exact replica of those three players, but as an outside linebacker he is considered to be an emerging pass rusher and one of the best athletes in this draft class.
This leads to speculation that the Giants could trade Thibodeaux to clear a path to the field for Reese.
Reese was only a one-year starter at Ohio State and his draft stock rose exponentially with his 2025 performance. He had 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for the Buckeyes. At 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds, he does not have the size of most NFL pass rushers but he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46. That is faster than most pass rushers.
The Giants could not have known Reese would be on the board at No. 5. The Jets at No. 2 took edge rusher David Bailey – no surprise there. At No. 3, the Cardinals could have gone in several different directions and they went with running back Jeremiyah Love — a player on the Giants’ radar. At No. 4, the Titans came up with the first real surprise of the first round by taking wide receiver Carnell Tate. That means the Giants were looking at Reese, his Ohio State teammates Sonny Styles, a linebacker, and safety Caleb Downs.
