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The New York Giants selected Ohio State pass-rusher Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday.
The Giants also own the No. 10 selection, a pick they acquired Saturday from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.
Reese, considered one of the best defenders in the nation last season, is a unique athlete who played all over the field for Ohio State. He recorded 69 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two passes defended in 2025.
Reese's selection marks the third time in the last five years that New York has chosen an edge rusher in the top five of the draft, joining Abdul Carter (2025) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (2022). Despite using another premium pick on a pass-rusher, the Giants don't intend to trade Thibodeaux this offseason, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Reese's predraft profile
Betting on Reese as a top-five pick on the edge requires a bit of projection. He didn't begin rotating down from his original off-ball linebacker spot until 2025. Even then, his hybrid role meant he logged just 87 pass-rush snaps from a defensive line alignment, according to PFF. At this moment, Reese is a more complete linebacker and could start his career there. But his combination of athleticism and physicality is exactly what teams are looking for in potential game-changers on the edge.
Reese will need time to develop his pass-rush repertoire and will likely have to add weight to handle full-time run-game duties. However, his explosiveness allows for unlimited upside, and he's already shown flashes of power in both phases. Crucially, Reese is still only 20. The dream scenario here is that he ends up with a creative defensive coordinator who can truly maximize his rare, do-it-all skill set. But there's a reason the NFL's best pass-rushers are now making upwards of $40 million per year. Given the necessary time to develop, there's no reason Reese can't one day find himself in that class of perennial Pro Bowlers on the edge.
