Arvell Reese: I never practiced pass-rush moves at Ohio State

Arvell Reese: I never practiced pass-rush moves at Ohio State originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Arvell Reese is a safe bet to be a dynamic inside linebacker, but the No. 5 overall pick’s upside lies in his ability to play the edge.

The defensive chess piece, who was drafted by the Giants on Thursday night, believes he has plenty of untapped potential in that area because he never practiced pass-rushing moves at Ohio State.

“The majority of my time, like 90% of my time, was spent as an inside backer,” Reese told Covers in an exclusive interview. “They would probably be like 10%-to-20% I'm focusing on the edge stuff.

“It was never intentional with the pass rusher, figuring out what moves I need to do and that type of stuff. It was moreso taking the time to learn how to play the run on the edge against certain plays, and if I got to spin it or if I got to thin it. It was never about getting intentional with the pass rush.”

Reese is 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds with upper-tier movement skills and play-strength, so the tools are there for him to become a nuisance in the pass rush.

For his part, Reese is all-in on improving that part of the game in the NFL.

"I'm really excited about perfecting the craft of everything that comes with being an outside backer, whether it's rushing, taking on certain run blocks and how to defeat certain tackles, however they pass it,” Reese said. “It's gonna take some work, but I'm ready to work towards it."

While Reese could eventually move to edge, he’s still an intriguing blitzing option from inside linebacker or on third down. The Giants can deploy Reese, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux in a speed rush package in 2026.