The New York Giants knew they were getting a special player when they selected Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Reese has played on 99.5 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps this season. He leads the team with 81 tackles (53 solo), eight for a loss, a team-leading 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Reese became the first rookie in recorded NFL history (since at least 1994) to record double-digit tackles and 3.0 sacks in a single game, and the youngest player in NFL history with a three-sack performance.
He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9 for his performance in the Giants' 19-11 win over the Eagles in Philadelphia (12
tackles, 3.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, and one forced fumble).
The Arvell Reese experience pic.twitter.com/Xkxwts6iXT
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 10, 2026
At this rate, Reese will make it hard for experts to keep him off their Defensive Player of the Year ballots.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN already has Reese as his top defensive rookie in his midseason awards.
Reese..has been two impactful players in one this season. As an off-ball linebacker, Reese has been all over the place for a Giants team that has been better against the run this season, even after trading Dexter Lawrence II. Reese has made tackles on 15.3% of his snaps, the eighth-highest rate in the league. He has given up an 81.3 passer rating in coverage, a very credible number for a veteran linebacker, let alone a rookie just getting his feet wet at this level.
And then there's Reese's side quest as a devastating force on blitzes. Despite rushing the quarterback only about 11 times per game, Reese already has 4.5 sacks and 14 pressures. His 10.2% quick pressure rate would be the second-best mark in the NFL if he qualified. And the average Reese pressure comes after 2.44 seconds, the fifth fastest among players with 10 pressures or more.
Many expected Reese to be used as an outside pass-rush threat early in his career. The Giants decided to push him inside. He can also play outside. After watching him play the first nine games, it's clear there's very little this young man can't do.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: ESPN names Giants' Arvell Reese mid-season Defensive Rookie of the Year
