The 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year race this season is going to be as competitive as it gets, as there are already multiple candidates starting to emerge. And the New York Giants have a dog in this fight, as EDGE/LB Arvell Reese is one of the early frontrunners to bring home some hardware in 2026.
The fifth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Reese couldn't have landed in a better spot than with the Giants. Not only was it shocking to still see him available, landing with a team that's going to start him off as a linebacker before transitioning him into a full-time edge rusher is the best blueprint for him to make an immediate impact.
It's not surprising that the 20-year-old is getting DROY buzz. In fact, he deserves more, as NFL.com's Dan Parr labeled Reese as one of his top 11 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates, placing him at fifth on the list--with Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Rueben Bain, and David Bailey listed ahead of him.
"Reese would probably be higher on this list if New York had cleared a spot for him to focus solely on rushing off the edge as a rookie," Parr wrote. "I'm sure the Giants will let him get after the passer in 2026, but they are starting him off as an off-ball linebacker, where he'll be further away from the action and likely missing out on some sack production"
New York Giants Arvell Reese already has a strong DROY case
It sounds like Parr is docking him points for Big Blue's planned usage of him as a rookie. However, we're coming off of a season where a full-time linebacker in Carson Schwesinger deservingly won the Defensive Rookie of the year award as the green dot of Cleveland's defense.
Schwesinger won the DROY over James Pearce Jr., who logged double-digit sacks as a rookie. So he can refer to sack numbers being "DROY gold," but given the many hats the Giants are going to allow Reese to wear as a rookie, he could enjoy a similar fate.
It's also interesting considering the players he had ranked above the Ohio State product. Sonny Styles is also an off-ball linebacker, Caleb Downs is a safety (and a safety hasn't won DROY since 1990), and in terms of talent, David Bailey doesn't hold a candle to the man the Jets took him over.
The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year can rush the passer, step up in coverage, and can make plays all over the field. John Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson clearly have big plans for Arvell Reese in the middle of this New York Giants' defense, and their vision will become crystal clear--and the DROY feels within the realm of possibility.
Add us as a preferred source on Google