Giants Rookie Arvell Reese Poised as Starting Will Linebacker After Strong OTAs

Coaches and local media have praised his playmaking in drills, suggesting he could provide immediate help to a defense that struggled last season.

Overview

The New York Giants selected Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft and the rookie has drawn consistently positive reports during organized team activities.
Reese agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract reportedly worth $47.8 million, with a $31.2 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option.
Coaches and a prominent Giants radio host praised Reese’s instincts after he lined up a potential big hit in a two-minute drill and made other sharp plays in OTAs.
The team plans to use Reese as its weak-side (WILL) linebacker with a role that mixes edge rushes and coverage duty alongside veteran Tremaine Edmunds.
Reese’s early play and his draft status make him a key piece in a broader defensive retool that followed the Dexter Lawrence trade and the selection of Francis Mauigoa, with the club expecting him to help lift a defense that finished 4–13.