WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Linebacker Arvell Reese likes to describe himself as a physical and fast player. A week into training camp, the New York Giants’ top pick of the 2026 draft class has looked the part.Reese has been starting at inside linebacker alongside Tremaine Edmunds, who was brought in during free agency. While there was some pre-draft chatter around the league about pushing Reese outside and letting him use his quick first step off the edge, the Giants were clear from the start that the rookie would be playing inside.It’s early, but the decision to keep him at linebacker looks to have been a wise one. During the first week of camp, Reese put his speed and IQ on display, most memorably when he got himself in position to bat down a pass in zone coverage. Reese’s acumen caught the eye of coach John Harbaugh, who later called it a “great football play.”John Harbaugh is making his mark early at Giants training campDan DugganIn Week 2 of camp, with the pads finally on, the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Reese has shown off his other trait the Giants love so much: his physicality. My beat partner, Dan Duggan, documented on Monday how Reese was consistently blowing up plays in the offensive backfield, paving the way for his veteran teammates to rave about him afterwards.“I think he’s going to be a pretty dang good player,” right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said. “I’m glad he’s on our team. I’ll tell you that. He’s quick, he’s physical. You can tell he truly loves this game and that his instincts are just ridiculous. I had one play today where I climbed to the second level, and we smacked each other, and I tripped, just in case there’s a video (laughter). I got tripped. I got tripped! There was something behind me, and I got table-topped! … I like him a lot.”Reese, who spoke with The Athletic before Monday’s first padded practice, wasn’t trying to get ahead of himself. Instead, the mild-mannered rookie classified his play as “all right,” saying there’s always room for improvement. He said his early focus during film breakdowns with inside linebackers coach Frank Bush and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is his approach in pass coverage.“I know it’ll get better as I get more reps and watch more film,” Reese said. “But just understanding route concepts and not just dropping back and just waiting for something to happen. You know, jumping routes; I want to be more active in coverage.”While the Giants are focused on improving Reese’s abilities as an inside linebacker, they will still let him loose off the edge every so often, especially if he keeps on beating an All-Pro like Andrew Thomas for sacks, as he did on Monday.“He’s been playing well the whole camp since he got here,” Harbaugh said Monday. “You see the talent, obviously. I think he’s very sharp for a first-year guy. He gets things right pretty much all the time, makes very few mistakes. He’s a very serious-minded guy, and he’s very determined.”Reese has been an early standout, but how are some of the other rookies faring as the second week of camp continues?