How Giants will use ‘weapon’ Arvell Reese

“It didn’t really matter to me,” Reese said. “There’s not one [position] or the other I like to play more. I like playing both.”

(Again, it’s not like he is going to immediately protest how the Giants plan to use him.)

Still, as Reese mentioned, the Giants hope to find creative ways to utilize his skills by moving him all over their defense. Harbaugh made a point of saying that Thursday night, though he did say definitively that Reese would begin his NFL career at inside linebacker, next to Edmunds.

Harbaugh thrived in Baltimore partly because he had great inside linebackers like Ray Lewis and Roquan Smith. Now, in Harbaugh’s first offseason with the Giants, he has taken two big swings at the position by paying Edmunds and drafting Reese at No. 5.

Inside linebacker matters a lot to Harbaugh. He will need Edmunds and Reese to matter a lot to the 2026 Giants’ defense as this team tries to do a better job of stopping the run — with Dexter Lawrence gone, no less.

There is, of course, the matter of coverage. Harbaugh passed on cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 5 and saw him go sixth to the Chiefs, who traded up three spots. Harbaugh also passed twice on safety Caleb Downs, who went 11th to the Cowboys after they traded up one spot.

So the Giants still have significant question marks at outside corner and safety, with Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome, Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin remaining the starters there (for now).

But Harbaugh expects Reese to be a difference-making run defender and pass rusher. He better be right.

“Arvell is a versatile player,” Harbaugh said. “Our defense is pretty flexible — position-less, you might call it. We have an opportunity to move those guys around. He’ll be moving around with all of our guys."

Harbaugh said Reese would play some on the edge, even though his position will be weak-side linebacker. Harbaugh really likes Reese’s versatility. Mainly, though, he likes his freakishly athletic upside.

Harbaugh recalled a moment from Reese’s pro day — a drill that required him to line up on the edge, with NFL evaluators timing how fast he burst into the backfield.

“It was shocking to see how quickly he goes from point A to point B out of his stance,” Harbaugh said. “There’s really nothing he can’t do physically.”

MORE GIANTS COVERAGE

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• Giants’ Day 2 blueprint: Best available NFL draft prospects to fill biggest needs
• Giants’ winners and losers from Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa picks on Day 1 of NFL Draft
• NFL Mock Draft Round 2: Eagles give Vic Fangio a chess piece; Giants land DB to replace bust

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