The New York Giants had to feel uneasy at first about how decisively All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence stormed his way out of town after requesting a trade. However, the G-Men managed to wrangle the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for Lawrence.
While that premium selection courtesy of Cincinnati is still to be made, the first draft pick of the John Harbaugh era is officially on the board. The G-Men's own No. 5 overall choice was the light at the end of the tunnel after an otherwise-awful 4-13 last season.
Harbaugh and those he brought to New York wasted no time setting a bold tone right out of the gates in this draft, scoring Ohio State hybrid linebacker/edge Arvell Reese to headline what could be a franchise-changing rookie class. However, Reese's arrival could come at the expense of another past first-rounder.
Arvell Reese could signal the end of Kayvon Thibodeaux's time with the Giants
Many believed Reese would go to one of the New York (er, New Jersey) teams, just not the Giants. Instead, the Jets went with Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey, which sent Reese skidding past Arizona and Tennessee before he landed where he was meant to be.
LET'S WORK 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 pic.twitter.com/P4ZytIs3z5
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 24, 2026
One could argue this is something of a luxury pick for the Giants, yet it's also near-impossible to pass up an elite talent like Reese.
The larger implications of New York selecting Reese pertains to the team's rotation on the edge. Already flush with blue-chip talent like Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, it stands to reason that Kayvon Thibodeaux could be the odd man out.
Although Reese has proven he can play off-ball linebacker and should start his career there, he'll be rotating into the defensive front to get some reps on the edge as his development continues. Having Thibodeaux taking up a lot of those snaps would be an impediment to Reese's rookie-year progress at the very least.
Thibodeaux was the fifth overall pick in 2022, and hasn't really lived up to that billing. Hence why the Giants have spent top draft choices on Carter and Reese respectively the last two years.
Sure, the G-Men could keep Thibodeaux around and in the rotation on his fifth-year option. But that's the thing. He's a free agent after this coming season. Rather than slowly relegate him as Reese gets his NFL sea legs, why wouldn't New York do right by the player, allow him to start fresh in a clearer, larger role elsewhere, whilst fast-tracking Arvell Reese's NFL learning curve?
We'll see how everything shakes out. Giants history is steeped in great teams with a plethora of pass rushers. Can never really have too many. Drafting Reese does complicate the situation a bit, but hey, those are privileged, uptown problems to have.