The New York Giants turned a long-shot scenario into draft-night reality, selecting linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa at No. 10 back in April.
Both players ranked among the team’s top five prospects on their board, a pairing general manager Joe Schoen described as a “pipe dream.”
The opportunity arose after the Giants traded three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 pick. As the first round unfolded in Pittsburgh, head coach John Harbaugh watched the board closely. When Reese, the Ohio State All-American, remained available at No. 5, the draft room erupted.
“YAAAAAAA” -John Harbaugh when drafting Arvell Reese pic.twitter.com/531d0li9PA
— Giants Nation Show (@GiantsNationPod) May 8, 2026
“Hey, we didn’t mock that one,” Schoen said.
“We only did a million of them, but we didn’t get that one,” Harbaugh replied.
“That was a pipe dream,” Schoen added.
There was no time to celebrate. The staff immediately shifted focus to the No. 10 selection. When Mauigoa’s name was called, the room again erupted.
John Harbaugh and new OL coach Mike Bloomgren were SUPER excited about drafting Francis Mauigoa🔥 pic.twitter.com/sux4foXErH
— Fireside Giants (@FiresideGiants) May 8, 2026
Reese later called the moment “crazy” and “surreal,” while Mauigoa described a sense of relief and satisfaction after years of family sacrifice.
In a single evening, the Giants secured two cornerstone pieces that few mock drafts had predicted would land in New York.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: See it: Giants react to ‘pipe dream’ of landing Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa
