The first couple of days of organized team activities always creates a massive wave of optimism from the fans. This year, the undeniable lightning rod for that hype is New York Giants rookie linebacker Arvell Reese. The No. 5 overall pick has looked totally dominant, flying across the turf at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center and looking every bit like John Harbaugh's next elite leader of the defense.
Reese's 4.46 40-speed -- at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, no less -- has been fully on display during team drills. In a matter of a couple practices, the 20-year-old embraced his defensive demon mode, running step-for-step downfield on a wheel route to lock up running back Devin Singletary, before immediately blowing up a screen pass in Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s face on the very next sequence.
It's exactly the kind of electric, game-changing ability that'll have Big Blue Nation dreaming of a defense that'll be respected once again. Reese looks like an absolute monster before June even arrives, but history dictates that we pump the brakes on the champagne before declaring him the next Ray Lewis:
"In my years covering the Giants, I have learned one of the worst things anyone can do is take too much out of spring practices," team reporter John Schmeelk warned. "No one is wearing pads and there is no contact. Players are only just learning the offense and defense. The team is competing against itself and not even at full speed. But there are some things you can glean from OTAs."
Arvell Reese looks unstoppable at OTAs and that’s exactly the problem
The undeniable play speed and high football IQ Reese has been flashing are definitely for real, but his physical dominance comes with a massive asterisk that needs to be called out.
OTAs are essentially an unpadded game of touch football. Linebackers with elite athletic traits should look unblockable when 6-foot-5, 300-some-odd-pound offensive linemen aren’t allowed to actually get their mitts on them.
If I had a dollar for every time a rookie looked like the team's next superstar in shorts, I'd be part owner. So let's not start sipping the Kool-Aid just yet.
Right now, Reese is playing completely unphased. He doesn't have to shed a guard or fight through a fullback's block or tight end's chip to blow up a play -- he just has to run fast and be agile.
The true consensus of the fifth overall pick can't really begin until the summer heat hits at training camp and the pads finally come on. That's when fans will see the real Reese.
If the former Ohio State standout can still blow up plays at the line of scrimmage when veterans are allowed to physically put hands on him, the Giants may have a generational defensive anchor on their hands. Until then, it’s worth remembering how easy this game can look in shorts.
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