Another year, and another draft in the books -- with this one potentially being one of the best yet. The New York Giants aced the weekend-long marathon, adding talent all over the roster and building the team in John Harbaugh’s image.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the draft without disapproval, and there might not be a more polarizing pick than Ohio State's Arvell Reese at No. 5.
There was some initial and very public confusion about where Reese would fit in Harbaugh’s defense among fans and players -- even Malik Nabers had a tough time getting behind it on a Bleacher Report live stream. But one NFL analyst might’ve changed the tone of the entire conversation.
There was a pre-draft consensus that when the G-Men were on the clock at five, they’d choose between whoever was remaining out of Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Francis Mauigoa, Carnell Tate, and Jeremiyah Love -- with the assumption Reese would be long gone. But he was still there at five, and the Giants sprinted to get the card in, which rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way.
Chris Simms puts ridiculous Arvell Reese criticism to bed with blunt reality check
The concern centered around the 20-year-old not having a role in New York, but Chris Simms took to X to ease concerns around the pick with one blunt assessment of their new defensive demon:
"Arvell Reese was the best MLB available. He’s better at the position than Sonny Styles. Reese also has the potential to be a stud pass rusher. But currently he’s an awesome off-ball LB. Be happy."
Spot. The. Lie.
For those who aren’t aware, the former Buckeye isn’t just a pass rusher. He can play off the edge and delete quarterbacks, and he’s a do-it-all linebacker who can line up all over the defense, including inside. So when Simms says he’s a better off-ball linebacker than Styles, fans should listen closely.
The hang-up seems to be twofold. First: the Reese vs. Styles misunderstanding. Think of Reese as a middle linebacker who has unlimited upside as a potential pass-rusher. But as off-ball linebackers go, he has a higher ceiling and more disruptive physical tools than Styles.
Never thought I'd see the day that Giants fans were fighting over the team drafting the wrong off-ball linebacker with the fifth overall pick, but welcome to 2026, I guess. The positional value stans are having a meltdown right now.
Second: the Giants already have too many pass rushers on the team. False. They could have 52 pass rushers on the team, and if they had the chance to add another elite talent to fill out the 53, I’d say do it. The Seahawks and Eagles have shown in both of the past two Super Bowls that it’s necessary to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable and blow up their spot. It’s a premier position. A team can never have too many.
Reese has a role on this team. He’s going to be dangerous wherever they put him. And Simms is doing his best to tell Giants fans what’s coming.
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