A late bloomer at OSU, Reese exploded onto the scene in his third campaign with the Buckeyes, making the biggest difference of any member of an elite defense from the first week of the 2025 season. Reese finished his breakout year with 69 tackles (10 for loss), 6.5 sacks and two pass breakups, a stat line good enough for first-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors as well as the Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year Award.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia fancied using Reese as a chess piece in his defense, moving the 6-foot-4 linebacker all around the front seven to create mismatches and give Reese the best chance of wrecking the opposition’s plans. The results were overwhelmingly positive, so much so that his fit at the NFL level — edge rusher or versatile linebacker? — remained a topic of debate up to the draft and will likely persist into the 2026 season.
Reese’s edge-rushing game is the least polished portion of his overall skill profile, but with an incredible testing performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, scouts are salivating over his potential to become a Micah Parsons-like game-wrecking linebacker, propelling him up the draft board over the last six weeks.
Reese’s experience is limited, having spent a season as a special teamer and a second campaign as a rotational defender, but he finished his career as an unquestioned star of a defense littered with first-round picks. He’ll enter the NFL with great expectations and a physical profile carrying the potential to meet them, even if it wasn’t with the team many expected.
Reese also joins a Giants defense well-stocked with talent, especially in the front seven, so he’ll be well insulated up front. That’s a good thing for a player who won’t turn 21 years old until just prior to the start of the regular season.
With Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Tremaine Edmunds, Reese and others, the Giants boast excellent talent, and they can spoon feed Reese with situational assignments until he proves he’s ready for more. This could end up a fantastic pick, but it doesn’t come without risk.
Of course, the Giants had little time to celebrate the Reese pick, with another top-10 selection shortly thereafter. They landed some protection for quarterback Jaxson Dart, which is always a good idea. Mauigoa could potentially start initially at right guard, where last year’s starter, Greg Van Roten, remains unsigned. Jon Runyan Jr. and John Michael Schmitz are also in the final years of their respective deals.
The Giants still need a receiver, and they passed on Reese’s teammate, Downs, whom some believe could be a generational safety. But they also needed blocking help, and the pairing of Reese and Mauigoa match upside and safety nicely. Both should contribute readily early for Harbaugh.
