The Ohio State football team was expected to have a lot of guys fly off the board very quickly in the 2026 NFL Draft. That's not shocking considering how talented the Buckeyes have been in the last couple of years. That culminated in the Ohio State Buckeyes winning it all in 2024.
Arvell Reese was widely expected to be the first Buckeye off the board with his combination of size and speed. Instead, it was his receiver teammate Carnell Tate who was the first one taken. Still, Reese wasn't far behind, as he was taken just one pick later.
Reese was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, being selected by the New York Giants. John Harbaugh's first pick as the head coach of the Giants is Reese, and he will be a versatile pick who can help the defense be the leader of the team in his first season.
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese taken by New York Giants
New York has several other edge players already on the roster, so the Giants might use him more as an off-the-ball linebacker. He's certainly talented enough to do that, so the Giants are very happy that the other team in New York didn't take him. The Jets decided to take David Bailey instead.
Reese's production may have fallen off in the second half of the 2025 season, but Reese's raw skills are just too enticing to pass up with the fifth pick. If he hits, he might end up being a multi-time All-Pro player at linebacker. That is where his ceiling is.
Having back-to-back picks in the top five is great for recruiting for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ryan Day got to sit in the green room and watch all of his guys get taken, which is something every college football coach dreams of.
Add us as a preferred source on Google