NY Giants news, 4/30: Defensive tackle Shelby Harris signed, Malachi Fields impact

10. Arvell Reese, LB, New York Giants (Pick 1-5). My final overall ranking: No. 4 The idea that Reese might fall to No. 5 wasn’t widely discussed. And when it was, the talk was that his upside as a pass rusher seemingly wouldn’t fit on a team that already has Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the edge. What we didn’t consider was that John Harbaugh might draft Reese to initially play off-ball linebacker while giving him a slow entry into a pass-rushing role. Expect to see Reese play in a role similar to what he did at Ohio State, where he primarily lined up at inside linebacker but added 97 pass-rush reps. Unlocking his ability as an inside blitzer will give New York an even scarier pass rush.

The only other Giants picked that was ranked was OT/G Francis Mauigoa, at 17,

ESPN insiders praise Giants draft class

Which players from the 2026 NFL Draft are the best value pick for their team? | The Athletic

Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State. Pick: No. 5, Round 1 It might sound counterintuitive to put the No. 5 pick as the best value, but given Reese’s rankings coming into the draft it was hard to imagine he’d be available for the Giants. He was Brugler’s top overall prospect. Even general manager Joe Schoen didn’t anticipate the linebacker would be available. Coach John Harbaugh said, “I think Joe probably ran about a zillion mocks … and this one didn’t come up.” Reese will start off at inside linebacker alongside Tremaine Edmunds, but will be used in unique ways and add to an already formidable pass rush.

Report: Giants were looking for second-round pick for Kayvon Thibodeaux | Pro Football Talk

The in-draft chatter came ahead of the second round last Friday when there was a report that the Giants and Saints had discussed a deal. Giants General Manager Joe Schoen said that the team had “not had any conversations” about trading Thibodeaux that day, but another report indicates that there were some conversations.

According to The Athletic, the Giants were looking for a second-round pick in return for moving Thibodeaux while the Saints’ best offer was believed to be a fourth-rounder. New Orleans ultimately traded a fifth-round pick to the Raiders for Tyree Wilson in order to address their desire for help on the edge.

Ranking Every NFL Offense After the 2026 Draft | Bleacher Report

13. New York Giants. Reason(s) for Optimism: The Giants offense ranked strongly across the board in 2025 despite the fact rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart wasn’t a major factor until October, top receiver Malik Nabers missed all but four games and sensational rookie running back Cam Skattebo made only five starts before suffering a season-ending injury himself. With all three of those guys healthy and more developed, and with Mooney, Likely and Mauigoa in the mix, I’d expect continued improvement under new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

Reason(s) for Pessimism: Nabers and Skattebo continue to miss time this offseason, and the sample sizes are small for those rookies. There’s no telling if the league will adjust to Dart’s game in his sophomore season, or how Mauigoa will fare in a major role as a rookie.

Offseason checklist for all 32 NFL teams | NFL.com

The trade of Lawrence to Cincinnati left a massive hole in the middle of the Giants defense that went unfilled in the draft. The Giants selected Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round, but a veteran is desperately needed. I’d like to see Big Blue add multiple vets to throw at the problem in the coming weeks. The statuses of receiver Nabers and running back Skattebo coming off season-ending injuries will be ones to track this offseason. Skattebo is ahead of Nabers in his rehab, but the availability of both in training camp is key for the Giants to hit the ground running in Week 1. The selection of Arvell Reese will jump-start trade chatter regarding Thibodeaux. The Giants can insist they don’t want to move the former first-rounder, but the math alone suggests that at some point between now and the trade deadline, he could be moved.

New York Giants’ Bobby Jamison-Travis prides himself on stopping the run | USAToday.com

Jamison-Travis is the type of “space-eater” the Giants are looking for at 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds. He specializes in, and takes pride in, playing against the run. “I consider myself a run-stopper,” Jamison-Travis told Brandon London of Giants.com. “I’m gonna do everything that’s possible to stop the run — that’s my pride.”

Colton Hood gives a tutorial of his celebration to Roger Goodell

Giants Mailbag: How will Big Blue add to roster with draft in the rearview? | SNY.tv

Do you get the sense that Kayden McDonald would have been the Giants second-round pick if the Texans hadn’t jumped up to snag him?  Sources I touched base with inside the Giants building indicated that wasn’t the case. Their guy, the moment the second round began, was corner Colton Hood. A second source close to the corner told me the Giants relayed that information to them, too.  So that’s the Giants story and they’re sticking to it.

Hood, a riser up most draft boards, was a nice pick there. Some sources SNY touched base with actually felt he could go as high as 16 in the draft.

All the Giants draft-night stories I never got to publish | New York Post

The Giants had two picks in the first round of the NFL draft, and selected linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Sisi Mauigoa.

But what if they went in a different direction?

Around the league

Eagles assistant general manager is leaving after a long time in Philly | Bleeding Green Nation

Commanders should sign these three free agents with the NFL draft done | Hogs Haven

New York Jets pick up fifth-year option on edge rusher Will McDonald | Pro Football Talk

Deshaun Watson ahead of Shedeur Sanders as front-runner for Browns’ starting quarterback job, per report | CBSSports.com

Panthers officially exercise Bryce Young’s fifth-year option | Pro Football Talk

Sources: Broncos’ Bo Nix had second procedure on right ankle | ESPN.com

Texans, LB Azeez Al-Shaair agree to terms on three-year extension | NFL.com

Former Giants lineman Josh Mauro dies at 35 | ESPN.com

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