Brian Burns’ ankle injury may be the push the Giants need to finally tap into Arvell Reese’s full toolkit.
New York drafted Reese fifth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft because he’s built to do more than one job. He can work in the box, he can move off the edge, and he came into the league with the kind of flexibility that should give a defense real options. But through the first part of his rookie season, the Giants have kept things simple and used him strictly as a linebacker.
That cautious approach made sense at first. Dennard Wilson has resisted turning Reese into another Isaiah Simmons-style tweener, choosing instead to let him settle in before asking for more. Now, though, the Giants may not have the luxury of patience for much longer.
The injury wave hit hard in Monday night’s 28-6 loss to the Rams, when New York lost Jaxson Dart for the season because of a knee injury. Malik Nabers and Brian Burns also went down in the same game, leaving the Giants badly short-handed. For a team already trying to hold things together, that was a brutal night.
Burns’ situation could be the one that opens the door for Reese. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Burns is dealing with a low-ankle sprain, and he did not practice on Wednesday, so a missed stretch of time looks likely. If that happens, the Giants may have no choice but to get creative.
And Reese is the obvious candidate.
This is not a small loss. Burns is coming off a 16.5-sack season, and he has never finished a year with fewer than 7.5 sacks.
He also brings three Pro Bowl selections with him. Replacing that production is never easy.
But the Giants do have a player who was drafted to handle multiple roles, and this may be the moment to test that promise.
Reese and Tremaine Edmunds give New York a dangerous linebacker pairing, but there’s still room to squeeze more out of the rookie. The Giants’ edge options without Burns are Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, which makes Reese’s potential value as a pass-rusher even more appealing.
He doesn’t need to become an every-down edge player. He could simply be a linebacker who rotates into that spot and gives the defense another weapon.
So far, the Giants have barely dipped into that part of his game. In 117 defensive snaps over the first two weeks of 2026, Reese lined up on the defensive line only 22 times, with 11 in each game. That’s a sliver of what he can do.
The bigger point is that the Giants drafted him with this kind of versatility in mind. They just may be getting forced to use it sooner than planned.
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Jaxson Dart Gave Giants Fans One Reason To Smile This Week
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Even with the long recovery ahead, there was at least one encouraging note for Giants fans to hang onto: Harbaugh said Dart has a slim chance to return if the team reaches the playoffs. It is hardly the kind of news anyone wanted to be discussing after the injury, but in a season suddenly without its young quarterback, even a small opening can feel meaningful. [Read more 🡒]