Giants' Arvell Reese among early Defensive Rookie of the Year favorites

New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese has emerged as an early candidate for the 2026 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

ESPN's Ben Solak has named Reese one of the five favorites to win next season’s DROY.

It's harder for an off-ball linebacker to win this award than you might expect -- only three have since 2009, when Brian Cushing finished a four-year run of stack linebackers bringing home the hardware. We simply value pass rushing far more than tackle collection in the modern NFL ... but that might be good news for Reese, who figures to grab more pass rush reps (and sacks) than the average off-ball linebacker. The more we learn about the Giants' plan for him, the easier he'll be to predict. Right now, he's mostly theory.

The Giants selected Reese with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Ohio native described himself as an outside linebacker and edge rusher before the draft. However, given his positional versatility, the Giants plan to deploy him as an off-ball linebacker alongside Tremaine Edmunds in 2026.

Reese will benefit from an elite front that he can play behind next season in New York. Second-team All-Pro edge rusher Brian Burns, 2025 DROY finalist Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux will generate significant pressure in the Giants’ pass rush, creating more opportunities for Reese to make plays.