New York Giants rookie Arvell Reese proves he’s the only real choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year
The New York Giants rookie is building a case that should silence one loud corner of the fan base for good.
The New York Giants have the Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner, and his name is Arvell Reese. After another dominant performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, Reese has made the case for the award impossible to ignore.
I don’t care what anyone else says. Reese will win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he deserves to.
Arvell Reese single-handedly saved the Giants against Philadelphia
This wasn’t a clean game for New York. The Giants were sloppy against the Eagles, and they needed someone to step up and take control. Reese did exactly that.
The rookie finished with 12 total tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits. Without that performance, this game could have gone in a completely different direction for the Giants.
The raw numbers are impressive, but the timing of his sacks matters most. Reese didn’t pile up meaningless stats in garbage time. He made plays when Philadelphia was threatening to swing the game.
The sack everyone is talking about, and the one getting recirculated across social media, came when Reese went untouched and completely demolished Eagles quarterback Joe Milton. Of course, that play was partially a blocking error by Philadelphia. However, Reese still had to finish it, and he did so with a strip-sack.
The Eagles were starting to put together a drive at that point. Instead of letting Philadelphia build momentum, Reese handed it right back to the Giants with one explosive play. Those are the moments that separate good rookies from award winners.
Reese is on pace for a historic rookie season
What makes this even more impressive is the trajectory he’s on. Through this point of the season, Reese has 47 tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, an interception, and four pass breakups.
That’s already a strong body of work for a first-year player. When you project it across a full season, it gets even better.
Per Connor Hughes of SNY, Reese is on pace for 100 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups. That stat line would be outstanding for a veteran in his prime. For a rookie, it’s absurd.
Very few defenders in the league can impact the game in as many ways as Reese. He’s making tackles all over the field, getting after the quarterback, creating negative plays, and contributing in coverage. That kind of versatility is exactly what voters should look for when deciding this award.
