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The New York Giants made Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese the No. 5 pick of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday.

Reese doesn’t have as much experience as the rest of Ohio State’s first-round talent, but in his one year as a full-time starter, he made an enormous impact, showing off his elite athleticism and freakish pass rush moves as a hybrid linebacker and edge rusher.

In his first year as a starter, Reese tallied 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks and was at the forefront of Ohio State’s defensive game plan under coordinator Matt Patricia. He jumped onto the scene in Week 1 with nine tackles and one sack in a win against Texas. He seemed to make at least one play a game the rest of the way that made a highlight reel or went viral on social media.

The 6-foot-4, 241-pound Reese, who ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, is the perfect example of film over statistical production because everything he did on film had coaches around the country raving about him, even if his numbers didn’t jump off the page each week.

‘The Beast’ breakdown

Reese ranked No. 1 on Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“He is explosive from his spot and has exceptional closing burst to cover ground in a blink. He can create short corners as a rusher, but will need time to become more of a pass-rush technician in terms of setting up and sequencing different moves. He uses his length to anchor as an edge setter and skillfully deconstructs blocks with elusive movements or violent, well-timed hands.”

Coaching intel

What an anonymous offensive coach had to say about Reese in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:

“They asked him to do a ton, and he’s elite at everything that they asked him to do. He’s playing stack linebacker better than the guy who only plays stack linebacker, and then he goes to edge and rushes the passer better than the guys who only have to rush the passer. He’s setting the edge and is just as good as guys who are 40 pounds heavier than him. Then, he’s covering just as well as the nickel and Caleb Downs are covering.”

Scott Dochterman grades the pick

The Giants can’t believe their luck. Reese has the most upside of any defensive player, and he’s versatile and explosive. When you combine him with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and perhaps Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants now have a ferocious pass rush. And as we saw a generation ago, that recipe makes Super Bowl jambalaya.

Reese conjures up comparisons with former Penn State (and current Green Bay Packers) pass rusher Micah Parsons and rightly so. Both were lethal pass-rushing linebackers in college and projected as edge defenders in the NFL. In his first season as a starter, Reese was a consensus first-team All-American and racked up 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 69 total tackles. Grade: A+

Mike Sando’s assessment

Some thought the Giants might not take an edge rusher because they already have invested in the position. But an exec I spoke with this morning said if Reese is there, the Giants will take him, because they can play him all over the field. Word on the street was that Reese was the Giants’ top choice at five, with Sonny Styles and Jeremiyah Love next. If that’s true, then the Giants got their guy. Reese is talented, but is seen as more of a designed pass-rusher than as an all-around player.

How he fits

Reese was the No. 1 player in Dane Brugler’s rankings. That type of talent fits on any team.

It will be interesting to see the Giants’ immediate plans for Reese, as they’ll need to be creative to get him on the field with Burns, Carter and Thibodeaux. The Reese selection makes Thibodeaux, who has been on the trade block all offseason, more expendable.

Reese’s versatility will give defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson options. The 6-4, 241-pounder can play off-ball linebacker and on the edge. Reese’s long-term home will be determined by how he adjusts to the NFL. — Dan Duggan

Depth-chart impact

Reese should start at inside linebacker on early downs. That will bump Micah McFadden into a sub role, which upgrades the Giants’ linebacker depth. On passing downs, the Giants can move Reese around. He can line up on the edge opposite Burns with Carter moving inside, as he did at times last season. Or Burns and Carter can stay on the edge with Reese rushing from an inside linebacker spot. The possibilities are endless as Wilson has a diverse group of edge rushers at his disposal. — Duggan

They also could have picked …

The way the first four picks unfolded, the Giants had their choice of three studs from Ohio State’s dominant defense. They went with Reese over inside linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs. Clearly, the Giants viewed Reese as the best player from that group. If the Giants wanted an offensive player, they may have targeted Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Trading back may have been the most tempting option, as the Browns dealt the sixth pick to the Chiefs for the ninth pick, a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick. — Duggan

Fast evaluation

This is the third time in the past five years that the Giants have used a top-five pick on an edge rusher, following Thibodeaux with the fifth pick in 2022 and Carter with the third pick in 2025. That’s in addition to trading second- and fifth-round picks for Brian Burns and then giving him a five-year, $141 million extension. That’s a lot invested in the pass rush, which needs to be the strength of a defense that lost nose tackle Dexter Lawrence from the middle of the defensive line in a trade last week. — Duggan