By admin 
The New York Giants started two first-round-selected rookies at important positions Sunday night, and each passed his initial test with flying colors.
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Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa were solid in their NFL debuts and earned rave reviews from teammates Patrick Ricard and Tremaine Edmunds on Tuesday.
Reese had five tackles, one for loss and a quarterback hit while playing all 58 defensive snaps at inside linebacker in the Giants’ 28-20 win over the Cowboys. Mauigoa played 69 snaps and did not allow a sack or pressure, despite playing a new position (right guard) which he had not in college.
Tremaine Edmunds Raved About Arvell Reese
Edmunds has played alongside a lot of linebackers over his nine-year NFL career. But he was excited to see Reese, who stole the show at training camp, also show his potential against the Cowboys.
“It was good to see him make plays out there,” Edmunds said. “He was able to show his athleticism and speed on display. Sky is the limit for him.”
Reese had the 43rd-best grade from Pro Football Focus among 63 qualifying linebackers who played over the weekend. He did get caught inside on Javonte Williams’ 17-yard receiving touchdown in the second half, but Edmunds believes that Reese will learn from his mistakes.
“That’s only Week 1. We’ve got a long season ahead,” Edmunds said. “Continue to get in the film room with one another and just continue to take those steps with one another, and kind of see things how both of us see the game. … But I was definitely excited to see him go out there and make plays.”
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Patrick Ricard Was Impressed With Francis Mauigoa’s ‘Finish’
Though he is from Hawaii, Mauigoa has a nastiness on the field that is hard to replicate, according to Ricard.
“I think seeing some plays on film that jumped out, it’s just his finish,” Ricard said of Mauigoa. “Seeing him running to the ball, seeing him finish blocks, trying to put guys in the dirt. That’s what you want for an offensive lineman, especially a guard, and to see that for the first game, it’s just really encouraging.”
The Giants offensive line had a solid night, aside from left guard Jon Runyan Jr.’s struggles. They only allowed two sacks and run-blocked with precision, helping the Giants rack up 165 rushing yards.
According to Ricard, who was also one of the Giants’ unsung heroes Sunday night, Mauigoa and the offensive line set the standard for the team’s success.
“You want an offensive lineman to set the tone for the whole offense, and me seeing that, it makes me want to be doing that every play,” Ricard said. “It gets me going. It’s a good start for him, and we’re going to keep pushing him to keep continuing to play like that.”
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This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 6:39 AM.