Highest-graded rookie of the Week: LB Arvell Reese, New York Giants

• Arvell Reese leads NFL rookies in Week 4: The New York Giants linebacker earned a 90.5 PFF defensive grade against the Arizona Cardinals, the highest among rookies that week.

• Pass-rush impact creates turnovers: Reese recorded three pass-rush wins on 13 opportunities for a 23.1% win rate and contributed to two Giants interceptions.

• Coverage performance stands out: Reese earned an 87.4 PFF coverage grade and recorded four defensive stops in coverage, showing his impact beyond the pass rush.

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In just his fourth NFL game, rookie linebacker Arvell Reese showed Giants fans exactly why the team used the fifth overall selection on the Ohio State standout, delivering a huge performance that helped secure the victory.

Let’s dig into what made Reese the NFL's highest-graded rookie this past week.

Reese made life miserable for the Arizona Cardinals’ passing offense on Sunday. On one play, he beat center Hjalte Froholdt on a blitz before batting down a pass from Jacoby Brissett like an NBA player rejecting a layup.

Reese made another impact play later when he beat an offensive lineman on his way to the quarterback and got a hand on Brissett’s arm as he threw, resulting in an interception downfield.

Then, of course, Reese also came down with an interception, which itself came on a pass batted at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Shelby Harris. That gave Reese three big plays in the passing game, all involving tipped or batted passes and all occurring in the second quarter. Two resulted in interceptions for the Giants.

In total, Reese rushed the passer 13 times against the Cardinals and recorded three pass-rush wins, giving him a 23.1% pass-rush win rate. That ranked second among Giants defenders in the win, trailing only second-year edge defender Abdul Carter.

When he wasn’t causing havoc at the line of scrimmage, Reese still made an impact in the passing game. Four of his five tackles resulting in a defensive stop came in coverage, where he looked anything but a rookie, decisively chasing down receivers after the catch.

Against the run, Reese looked confident taking on blocks. Along with his tackle resulting in a defensive stop, he recorded multiple wins in the run game where he didn’t make the tackle but still impacted the play.

Rookie linebackers often face a steep learning curve when they arrive in the NFL, but Reese has hit the ground running and is already making an impact on the Giants’ defense. While Miami’s Jacob Rodriguez is the current favorite for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, don’t be surprised if Reese overtakes him as the season progresses.