Giants selected Ohio State LB Arvell Reese with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

24 April 2026

Reese (6’4/241) is perhaps the most toolsy hybrid defender in the 2026 class, pairing rare height/weight/speed traits with true alignment versatility after logging snaps both on the edge and off-ball for the Buckeyes. Reese delivered a well-rounded 2025 campaign with a 75.8 overall grade, elite 86.5 run-defense mark and 85.6 tackling grade while generating 27 pressures, eight sacks and 34 defensive stops across 651 snaps. His production profile underscores a high-floor run defender who rarely whiffs (just a 6.0 percent missed tackle rate in 2025) and consistently leverages his length and violent hands to stack, shed and control the edge. As a pass rusher, his game is still rooted in athleticism and closing burst rather than sequencing, but his ability to bend short corners and generate pressure from multiple alignments. Reese projects as a multi-faceted chess piece with three-down potential whose elite physical tools, tackling efficiency and run-defense reflects an upper-tier starter profile as his pass-rush plan continues to mature.