Arvell Reese is starting to look like one of the Giants’ best draft-day swings in years, and the early returns have New York in a promising spot through Week 4.
The rookie linebacker has been everywhere for the G-Men, finishing with nine tackles in each of the last two weeks and making the kind of impact that turns heads fast. In four games of the John Harbaugh era, Reese has become an early defensive rookie of the year candidate while giving Big Blue a steady, disruptive presence.
The most eye-catching outing came in Week 4, when Reese earned defensive rookie of the year honors after a dominant performance. He played 63 snaps and piled up nine tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception, three pass breakups, and two pressures. One of his biggest plays came when he hit Jacoby Brissett’s arm on a throw that Greg Newsome II intercepted.
It still blows my mind that the Jets passed on Reese for Texas Tech’s David Bailey with the second overall pick, letting the Ohio State product slide to the Giants.
Bailey has looked good this season, but Reese keeps stacking strong games, and he has only raised his profile with each week. PFF has the 21-year-old with the third-highest defensive grade among rookie linebackers this season at 77.1, and it named him to its 2nd-team All-Pro defense through the first quarter.
That kind of production matters more now with Brian Burns sidelined for the remainder of the season. Someone in Dennard Wilson’s pass rush has to step up on a weekly basis, and so far that’s been No.
- Kayvon Thibodeaux has been a non-factor, while Abdul Carter has flashed but has also been inconsistent.
Reese’s rise also gives Week 5 against the Commanders an extra layer. One storyline in that divisional matchup will be which Ohio State rookie linebacker stands out more: Reese or Sonny Styles, another player the Giants showed interest in during the pre-draft process.
And the bigger picture keeps getting better for New York. The Giants are in sole possession of first place in the NFC East for the first time since November 2015, and Reese’s ability to keep forcing three-and-outs and turnovers, like he did in Week 4, makes it tough to ignore how quickly he’s becoming one of the team’s most important defenders.
In Other News...
Giants Need A Better Plan For Jameis Winston Early
The Giants finally found some offensive rhythm after halftime in their recent game, and the shift came with a faster pace and a heavier dose of the passing game. John Harbaugh pointed to the no-huddle look as a key reason the unit woke up, with Jameis Winston settling in once the Giants started moving more quickly and attacking through the air. The result was a much cleaner second half and a plan that at least gives the staff something to build on heading into the next matchup.
The question now is whether that version of the offense can show up earlier, not just after the break. The Giants want to test the same approach against the New Orleans Saints, and their focus is on smoothing out the start so they are not forced to dig out of an early hole again. For a team still searching for consistency, the challenge is less about whether the tempo works and more about how soon they can make it work. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Turned A Messy Sunday Into Exactly What Fans Needed
Sunday could have spun into another aggravating chapter for the Giants, the kind that leaves a season feeling heavier than it should. Instead, they came out of the afternoon against Washington with a tie that was good enough to keep them atop the NFC East, a result that fits a team trying to stay steady while navigating life without franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The quarterback room remains a storyline all its own, with J.J. McCarthy now in the building and Jameis Winston working as the backup. For a team searching for stability, every week seems to bring a new layer to sort through, and this one at least gave the Giants something they badly needed: a reminder that even on an off day, they can still come out of it with the division picture intact. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Opened A Debate About J.J. McCarthys Real Role
John Harbaugh gave J.J. McCarthy a brief look in the offense, using the backup quarterback for five snaps in a game that needed a jolt. The package was narrow and deliberate, built around read-option handoffs, designed runs and quick passes, while Jameis Winston stayed on the field as the starter and ultimately helped lead the comeback.
For the Giants, the larger question is less about those few plays than what they might mean going forward. McCarthy is still being worked into the offense, and his usage suggests the staff sees a way to add something different without changing the pecking order under center, at least for now. [Read more 🡒]