In 2025, the Giants’ run defense was abysmal. They allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry last season. Additionally, New York’s opponents averaged 145.3 rushing yards per game in 2025. John Harbaugh has taken over as head coach, and he addressed one of the team’s weakest units. The New York Giants defense has invested significantly at linebacker for 2026.
It has been done through the NFL draft and free agency. Linebacker had to be addressed, and Harbaugh wasted no time in doing so. Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden were New York’s starting linebackers in 2025. For next season, Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds and 2026 fifth-overall pick Arevell Reese will start at linebacker for the New York Giants defense.
Why is the linebacker the most improved position group on the New York Giants’ defense?
New York drafted two linebackers in 2026
With the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the New York Giants selected Reese out of Ohio State. Some analysts had Reese mocked as high as the second overall pick. However, he fell to pick five, and New York was ecstatic to see him available. General manager Joe Schoen said the team already has a plan in place for Reese in 2026. The 20-year-old is set to line up at Will linebacker for the Giants.
Schoen also stated that Reese has positional versatility and the Giants plan to put that on full display. During his 2025 campaign with the Buckeyes, Reese finished with 112 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Reese was not the only linebacker added to the New York Giants’ defense via the NFL draft.
The team also selected BYU’s Jack Kelly in the sixth round. He started his career at Weber State and eventually transferred to play for the Cougars. Kelly was a two-year starter for BYU and finished with 13.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during his senior season. While Kelly will be a backup linebacker, don’t be surprised to see him have a role on special teams. New York needs athletes who can give full effort and make secure tackles. Kelly fits that description.
The New York Giants’ defense added a Pro Bowl linebacker
Not only did the Giants make upgrades at linebacker through the draft, but they did the same in free agency. New York signed Edmunds, a two-time Pro Bowler. He received a three-year, $36 million contract from the Giants. That included $23.7 million guaranteed at signing. Edmunds is a veteran linebacker in the NFL. He was a first-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2018 out of Virginia Tech.
Edmunds spent the first five seasons of his professional career with the Bills. Ahead of the 2023 season, he signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Bears. However, they released Edmunds after the 2025 season, and he became a free agent. New York needed an upgrade at linebacker, and Edmunds was an easy solution. He’s started all 119 games he’s played in the NFL. That is not expected to change with the Giants.
Another free agent who signed with New York was linebacker Micah McFadden. The 26-year-old missed 16 of the team’s 17 games in 2025. McFadden suffered a foot injury. He was a fifth-round pick by the Giants in 2022 out of Indiana. Over four seasons, McFadden appeared in 48 games and made 36 starts. Despite a season-ending injury in 2025, the team has not completely given up on McFadden.
New York signed him to a one-year, $3.75 million contract with $2.9 million guaranteed. If he had not been injured in 2025, McFadden would have likely been a full-time starter. When he went down early in the year, New York realized how glaring a weakness it had at linebacker. Now, Reese and Edmunds will start at linebacker for the New York Giants defense in 2026.
