After a riveting and exciting NFL Draft back in April, the mind starts to wonder who will really stand out during the 2026 season. Furthermore, who will be the best of their draft class and secure Rookie of the Year honors on their side of the ball?
For the New York Giants, there is a case to be made that fifth-overall pick Arvell Reese could be a serious contender on the defensive side. As the second defender taken off the board behind New York Jets edge rusher David Bailey, all signs point to him having an opportunity to thrive on a much stronger defensive unit.
Arvell Reese has a path to Defensive Rookie of the Year
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report listed Reese as a potential Defensive Rookie of the Year, but just behind Bailey. There are a couple of layers to that discussion.
It is true that Bailey has a better chance of getting after opposing quarterbacks, while Reese will be parked in the middle of the front seven at the second level. As we all know, sacks tend to draw more attention than tackles, and Bailey has the advantage there.
Let’s also not forget that Reese has to compete with a lot more established talent for opportunities to make splash plays. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Tremaine Edmunds will all likely be on the field with him. Those first three names have been given the assignment of getting to the quarterback, while Reese and Edmunds will be tasked with cleaning everything else up.
But there is an opportunity here for Reese to set himself apart from his teammates and Bailey altogether. The NFL record for tackles by a rookie is 136, which was done by another very prominent No. 52 from San Francisco, Patrick Willis. In that same season, Willis took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
All hope is not lost on Reese’s chances of coming home with some hardware following his rookie campaign in 2026. But it might be completely okay not to have that as the main goal, as the G-Men need him to develop into one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL.
They cannot afford for their highly sought-after first pick from the draft to be a flop. Reese has the makings of the final piece to the playoff puzzle for the G-Men, and all eyes will be on him next season.
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