The New York Giants appeared to land a massive building block in the 2026 NFL draft when highly touted Ohio State product Arvell Reese fell to them at fifth overall. The Giants quickly made their intentions clear that they would play Reese at linebacker, given their depth at the edge rusher spots.
Reese was impressive in rookie minicamp and throughout training camp, often catching the attention of his coaches and giving fans reason for excitement surrounding their top rookie.
Reese also thrived in the two preseason games in which he appeared, recording three tackles. In fact, Reese ranked among the highest-graded rookies this preseason, per Pro Football Focus.
Highest defensive grade this preseason among rookies (min 20 snaps) Kamari Ramsey 94.8
Jacob Thomas 92.7 Jaishawn Barham 90.2 Darryl Peterson 89.6 Arvell Reese 88.2 Mory Bamba 86.0 pic.twitter.com/D0Oo2eMb09
— PFF (@PFF) August 29, 2026
Reese has generated excitement about what he can bring to a Giants defense that already features considerable talent, especially on the front seven. Between Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter and Tremaine Edmunds, the Giants are loaded on the front seven even with the departure of All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Reese is expected to move around the field and be used in some blitz packages to help get after the quarterback, which was a large portion of his usage at Ohio State.
If his rookie offseason is any indication, Reese may be a talented piece to build around, and many are eager to see what he will do in his rookie year. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will have to figure out where to best use Reese's speed and size on the field to benefit the Giants defense.
Reese's high grade in his limited preseason time is even more impressive considering he recorded only three tackles, a total that did not jump off the stat sheet. There is clearly good reason behind the hype surrounding the Giants' first-rounder, adding excitement to the defense with the regular season right around the corner.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Arvell Reese among NFL's highest-graded preseason rookies
