NFL Draft: Giants take Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese at No. 5, Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 10

The Giants had two first-round swings in the NFL Draft and hoped to knock them out of the park.

They did.

With the fifth pick Thursday night, the Giants took Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. Five picks later, at No. 10, they added Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the pick they acquired trading Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals.

Giants coach John Harbaugh said that general manager Joe Schoen ran “about a zillion mocks” for what could happen with both picks. This pairing of two 20-year old prospects? Didn’t come up.

“This was not one that was really anticipated and it just shows you that fiction’s stranger than reality,” Harbaugh said about his first Giants draft since being hired in January. “Or reality’s stranger than fiction. It’s two picks that strengthen us down the middle. Down the middle of our offense, our defense. These are great players. These are two, top-five players in this draft in our opinion.”

Reese (6-4, 241 pounds) was widely expected to go in the top three picks — and possibly at No. 2 to the Jets. But they took another edge rusher, David Bailey, and then the Cardinals picked Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3. The Titans took Reese’s Ohio State teammate, receiver Carnell Tate, at No. 4.

That meant Reese fell to the Giants, where he joins a deep edge rushing group that includes All-Pro Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

“They told me how they’ll use me and from that I can say I’m going to be used in a unique way,” Reese said on a conference call with reporters. “I’m a weapon. That’s how it supposed to be.”

How unique, exactly?

Harbaugh envisions Reese lining up at multiple linebacker positions but he’ll get plenty of reps next to free agent linebacker signee Tremaine Edmunds.

“Arvell is a versatile player,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll play him at inside backer, WILL backer. Our defense is pretty flexible, positionless you might call it.”

Reese, who will turn 21 on Aug. 30, is still considered raw as a pass-rusher. He had only 6.5 sacks last season for the Buckeyes, his first full one as a starter. But he was a consensus All-American and his upside is high.

The same could be said for Mauigoa, also an All-American. The 6-5, 329-pound lineman started three seasons at Miami at right tackle but Schoen said he will start off being used at guard, something most scouts projected for Mauigoa.

The Giants need a starter at right guard after bringing back Evan Neal and Joshua Ezuedu on one-year deals. They also signed guards Lucas Patrick and Daniel Faalele to one-year deals.

Mauigoa, who turns 21 on June 4, also brought a heartfelt message to second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, who he will be helping to protect.

“I’m ready to die for you, man,” Mauigoa told the NFL Draft broadcast.

When asked later to follow-up on that statement, Mauigoa said it’s part of his mentality: put everything on the line to protect the quarterback.

“That’s what we’re supposed to do,” he said on a conference call with reporters. “It’s not something that people want us to do. It’s something that we’re expected to do. That’s what we need to do.”

The Giants also weren’t worried about Mauigoa having a herniated disc in his back, something ESPN reported this week. Schoen said the team was comfortable checking him out and it helped that the Giants hired Adam Bennett as their new athletic trainer.

Bennett spent the previous three years in the same capacity at Miami so he was familiar with Mauigoa and assisted with evaluating him. The Giants also don’t think he’ll need surgery to address it. “He’s fine,” Schoen said.

Now the Giants hope it works out. Schoen and Harbaugh said that Reese was their highest-rated, non-quarterback in the draft and they didn’t expect him to be available at No. 5

Yet it was the gamble they were glad worked in their favor to strengthen the trenches. The same applies with Mauigoa, who is the highest-ranked offensive lineman the Giants have taken since drafting Neal in 2022.

Neither Schoen nor Harbaugh saw it coming. But they’ll gladly take it.

“This is exciting,” Harbaugh said. “This is not expected. This is something that’s really a great opportunity for us.”