The New York Giants ushered in a new era with head coach John Harbaugh and immediately introduced a new way of thinking. Leading into Thursday night of the draft, New York had been linked to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate and a variety of offensive linemen, but the availability of Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese presented a new wrinkle in the decision-making. In the past, New York may have gone with a bigger position of need rather than best player available. The selection of Reese breathed new life into the building and inspired hope for the future. 

New York has overcome the loss of quarterback Jaxson Dart to sprint out to a 5-2-1 record. The process is paying dividends in the Big Apple, but were those the correct first-round selections long-term? 

Was Arvell Reese a luxury pick for the Giants? 

Removing the positional value of quarterback from the picture, Reese was the top prospect available in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many did not immediately associate the former Buckeye with the New York team, because they are chock full with pass rushers and linebacker is not typically a position taken Top-5 overall. Recognizing the potential of Reese and making that selection when bigger needs were present illustrated discipline and sound decision-making of which the franchise had not been associated over the prior half decade.

Through Week 9, Reese has expressed that potential in all facets of the game. In the run game, he plays square to the line of scrimmage and shows an ability to slip blocks to make a tackle in the gap. As a coverage defender, he shows the range and top end speed to effectively trail leaks out of the backfield or a tight end escaping into a route. As a pass rusher, he sets up moves well and exploits oversetting linemen with his quickness. According to TruMedia, he has converted 85 pass rush snaps into 4.5 sacks (all of which have come over the last four games).

In Week 9, he strengthened his case for Defensive Rookie of the Year with three sacks. There is still room for improvement as Reese can do a better job not getting sucked down into the box and trusting his eyes more to make those impactful plays in the backfield, but the early returns have been impressive. 

Is Francis Mauigoa's future at guard? 

After trading All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati, New York was positioned to make two selections in the Top-10 overall. Harbaugh had premier assets with which to construct the next iteration of the Giants franchise. 

After selecting Reese, there was dialogue about which position the team might target next. Would they draft a wide receiver to pair with Malik Nabers? Is Caleb Downs the Kyle Hamilton-type eraser at safety? With Ohio State's Carnell Tate and Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson off the board, the choice seemingly came down to building through the trenches or Downs. 

The only offensive lineman drafted prior to New York's selection was Utah's Spencer Fano. Harbaugh deployed a strategy to fortify the offensive line to support young quarterback Jaxson Dart. Six other offensive linemen were taken in the next 16 selections. 

A former right tackle at Miami, Mauigoa has transitioned to right guard. Jermaine Eluemunor had earned an extended opportunity to stick at right tackle. Eluemunor turns 32 next month, and there is an off-ramp from his contract following the 2027 campaign. Could a return to his former position be on the horizon for Mauigoa?    

Mauigoa had been a sturdy presence for the Hurricanes, so a move to offensive guard seemed natural. He has been inconsistent. Ironically, his best game was against the vaunted Texans pass rush. The Samoan displayed independent hand usage to better sustain blocks and did a good job angling blocks to seal run lanes for Cam Skattebo. 

Other times, block sustainment has been an issue because he does not bring his hands along with his feet. He occasionally loses depth in the pocket, and his eyes are not always in the right place to pick up stunts. The bull rush has given him some problems, resulting in 4 sacks and 14 pressures allowed this season, according to TruMedia. 

Aspects of his game will improve with more repetitions at guard, but it also feels as though he is missing the edge with which he played in Coral Gables. 

Long-term outlook

There is a world where Reese is not the best prospect to come out of this draft class, but the odds of him being anything less than just a good player are slim to none. New York made the correct decision at No. 5 overall. He already looks like one of the better linebackers in the NFL and his value could rise even more if the team elects to utilize him more as a pass rusher.    

If New York plans to move Mauigoa back to tackle, then the decision to take him at No. 10 overall was likely well-founded. If they intend to keep him at right guard, they would have been better served taking the player who had already spent considerable time there (Vega Ioane). The jury is out on his ceiling in the NFL, but Mauigoa quickly filled one of the five starting offensive line positions, which is valuable.