Why Giants selected Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa in first round of 2026 NFL Draft

"Arvell is a versatile player and we’re going to play him as inside linebacker to start," Harbaugh explained. "Our defense is pretty flexible. Positionless, you might call it. We’ll have an opportunity to move those guys around. He’ll lineup next to Tremaine and he’ll be in the a-gap, b-gap, c-gap, d-gap, and off the edge. Have him moving around with all of our guys. We’ll be running games, runs, picks and stunts. He’s a versatile player, he’s a young player. He’s gotten better every single year playing off the ball and on the ball. Probably why he’s our highest rated non-QB player in the draft. He’s an exciting player. We’re excited to have him."

Reese had 6.5 sacks in his final year with the Buckeyes, but the Giants see upside to his pass-rushing abilities and will get creative in how they use him.

"He’s just scratching the surface," Schoen said of Reese's ability to rush the passer. "As coach was talking about, the versatility that the player has and how we can use him with some of the pieces that we already have. We’re not going to necessarily have to ask him to win off the edge. We got guys that can do that. We have a phenomenal defensive staff and they’re going to find creative ways to use him."

"Seeing Abdul, Brian, Tremaine, Kayvon, it’s eye-opening," Harbaugh said of his defense. "Now we have another guy added to that mix. You get excited. Can’t wait to get him on the practice squad...We still have work to do on the defense. We know we do. We still have some work to do, but this is a big step."

As for Mauigoa, the process of selecting the Miami OL was simple. The Giants had him as the top player left on their board, and instead of trading back -- which there were opportunities -- Schoen and Harbaugh stuck with their board.

"Sisi's another 20-year-old… but a powerful young man with tremendous athleticism and size," Schoen said. "To get those two young men that have size and athleticism and the makeup that we desire under contract for five years. To add some of the foundational pieces we already have, it’s really exciting."

The Giants say Mauigoa will play guard, but know they can bump him back to tackle at any point, but want to see how he does at the position.

Leading up to the draft, reports indicated that Mauigoa is dealing with a back injury that could result in surgery down the line. Schoen and Harbaugh were asked their thoughts on the situation, and although they didn't acknowledge the potential for surgery, they don't regret the pick.

"We were comfortable with it," Schoen said. "And we’re fortunate that the former trainer from the University of Miami is now one of our trainers. We have someone who has been with him his entire time at Miami… we’re certainly comfortable with it. Right now, he’s fine. He’s good right now."

As for how Harbaugh views his offensive line after the selection, and whether it's still a work in progress, the longtime coach said the draft pick "advances it."

"We’ll have to finish it off at practice and put it all together," he said. "It makes us a lot more stout. It’s two picks that strikes us down the middle. Down the middle of our offense, down the middle of our defense. These are great players, these are top-five players. You couldn’t do any better."