Carnell Tate selected No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans, Arvell Reese goes No. 5 to the New York Giants, Sonny Styles selected No. 7 by the Washington Commanders, Caleb Downs goes No. 11 to the Dallas Cowboys.
Arvell Reese is a top-five overall NFL draft pick – even if it's not as high as some expected.
Despite the buzz that he'd be a top-three overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, the New York Giants selected the Ohio State linebacker No. 5 overall. He made it back-to-back selections in the top five for the Buckeyes, joining No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate (Titans).
Developed Here!! pic.twitter.com/jp6UTNwg9T
— Ryan Day (@ryandaytime) April 24, 2026
Reese is the 28th linebacker to be selected in the NFL draft since 2000, the most of any program. He’s the first Buckeye selected by the Giants since they drafted Eli Apple in the first round in 2016.
During his breakout junior season at Ohio State in 2025, Reese racked up 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 69 tackles. Over his three seasons in Columbus, Reese accumulated seven sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and 112 tackles. A 2024 CFP national champion, Reese was a consensus All-American, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and the Big Ten's Linebacker of the Year in 2025.
While Reese primarily played linebacker for Ohio State, he’s expected to play both linebacker and edge rusher for the Giants. In his post-pick interview on ESPN, Reese said the Giants plan to use him in “unique” ways.
Reese believes his best football is still to come in the NFL as he focuses more on developing his pass-rush technique and unlocking his full potential.
“I think at the next level, I'm going to show them,” Reese said. “I think my technique and what I'm doing, I think it's going to be way better than what it was. A lot of the stuff I was doing was just me being able to do it just naturally, God-gifted. But at the next level, it's going to be tightened up and it's going to be elite.”
