WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — All the draft hype surrounding Arvell Reese centered around his potential as a pass-rusher.
For months, the debate was whether the Jets should take Reese or David Bailey with the No. 2 pick.
After the Jets went with Bailey — who is hounding quarterbacks early in their training camp — and the Giants took Reese at No. 5, the talk switched to using him as a chess piece who could pass rush alongside Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
It all overlooks the possibility that Reese could provide as a rookie something that the Giants have been chasing for a long time: a coverage linebacker.
Reese broke up a pass from Jaxson Dart to Odell Beckham Jr., who was sitting in what looked like a soft spot in zone coverage, during Friday’s practice.
Reese’s 32.5-inch arms tipped the ball away from nowhere.
“I think he looks really good,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He got that wingspan out there and batted that ball down. That was a great football play.”
Alec Ogletree had a misleading five interceptions in 2018 — he allowed 51 catches on 62 targets — and Bobby Okereke’s coverage has slipped off over the past two seasons after his impressive 10 passes-defended in his 2023 Giants debut season.
The edge rushers have a vested interest in Reese and his co-starter Tremaine Edmunds taking away short, easy completions over the middle.
“I asked his linebacker coach [Frank Bush] how he was doing and he said he was doing outstanding,” Carter said. “Obviously, he’s got all the physical traits, but he said more importantly, the mental side, he’s been doing a really good job.”
Jevon Holland is entering his sixth NFL season — second with the Giants — but there’s something a little different this time.
He and fellow safety Tyler Nubin — assuming he holds off Ar’Darius Washington — are not starting from scratch as a duo, even if they are learning a new playbook together.
“This is the first time in my career I’m going into a second year with the same playmate next to me,” Holland said. “Just us building rapport over the offseason, being close friends, communication, kind of understanding, how I play, how he thinks, how I think. It’s a new defense, so within the defense, we’re starting to just pick up on our nuances and whatnot. It feels good.”
As if rookie offensive linemen don’t have enough on their plate in camp, one per day is selected by the veterans to go hype up the crowd before practice by running a lap and waving his hands.
First-round pick Francis Mauigoa was first.
Then sixth-rounder J.C. Davis.
Saturday was Ryan Schernecke’s turn.
Undrafted Jarrod Gray must know that he is next.
“That was rookie duties,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “[Mauigoa] probably made some money, too. That’s probably about 10,000 Twitter followers.”
The Giants presented two $5,000 checks — one each for the Greenbrier East and Greenbrier West high school football teams — after practice.
Both teams attended practice but the donation was a surprise.
