Sonny Styles vs Arvell Reese: Which is Better Positioned to Win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese shared a linebacker room at Ohio State. On Sunday, Oct. 11, the two rookies will meet for the first time as NFC East rivals when the Washington Commanders host the New York Giants at Northwest Stadium.

Back in April, these two made NFL Draft history for being part of the first college program to have two linebackers selected in the top 10 of the same draft. The Giants selected Reese with the No. 5 pick, and two picks later, the Commanders selected Styles with the No. 7 pick. When they each chose their NFL numbers, they both picked No. 52.

Sunday's game will be the first time the two can be compared on the same grass. Currently, NFL.com's Gennaro Filice ranks Styles first and Reese second among defensive rookies. While that is only one opinion, it's a strong one with some backing.

Both were on Ohio State's 2024 national championship team. By 2025, Styles led the Buckeyes with 82 tackles; Reese followed with 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

At a media event in August of 2025, Reese specifically credited Styles with helping him understand preparation away from the field, saying, "I have learned a lot from Sonny, and it's more off the field. How you prepare for games, how he prepares practice to practice, and how intentional he is, Sonny is a great person."

At that same event, Styles said Reese’s mental development is the place he's grown the most: "I would say mentally, just understanding the game." Styles explained that Reese had always possessed the physical tools, but a better understanding of the game was allowing him to play faster and use them.

The Early Defensive Rookie of the Year Cases

Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles (52) runs on the field during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since joining the Commanders, Styles has 20 tackles (two for loss), one sack, one interception, one forced fumble, and two passes defensed. He had eight tackles against Indy this past weekend, one week after becoming the franchise’s first rookie linebacker to record an interception, a forced fumble, and multiple passes defensed in one game. He won NFC Defensive Player of the Week for that performance. Styles's play has put him in the conversation for rookie of the year, even if that conversation was had without words. He has demonstrated several ways to affect the passing game, which strengthens his case beyond his tackle total. PFF agrees, giving him an 85.2 coverage grade through four games, third among 74 qualifying linebackers.

Sonny Styles was EVERYWHERE in Washington’s win over Seattle.

4 TKL, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 QBH vs Seahawks

The rookie came away with his first career interception and forced a fumble against the defending champs. https://t.co/UMG5nOAliR pic.twitter.com/H3zRDCHDxE
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) September 27, 2026

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese (52) runs a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Reese hasn't been a slouch himself: in four games, he has 34 tackles (three for loss), four passes defensed, one interception, and two quarterback hits. This past Sunday against Arizona, he had nine tackles, three passes defensed, and his first NFL interception. PFF also credits Reese with 13 defensive stops and just one missed tackle, compared with seven stops and four missed tackles for Styles. That gives Reese an early advantage in tackling production and reliability as both build their cases for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Their overall PFF grades are nearly identical through four games: 77.1 for Reese and 76.9 for Styles. Reese has also played 243 defensive snaps compared with Styles' 219, giving him more opportunities to add to his numbers.

Arvell Reese just gets better every week

9 tackles, 5 stops, 1 INT, 1 pressure, 1 batted pass in week 4 https://t.co/RGJ6tKfoco pic.twitter.com/t0oPdXp2zX
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 5, 2026

Hughes' View

Both players look like problems for the NFC East for several years to come, and right now, I have them in a dead heat. Styles has the stronger coverage grade, a sack, and a forced fumble. Reese has more tackles, more defensive stops, and fewer missed tackles. I can make a Defensive Rookie of the Year case for either one. What's wild is that two guys from the same college, wearing the same number and respecting one another, are now building those cases on opposite sides of an NFC East rivalry. Their first meeting comes Sunday, with all of us watching No. 52 on both defenses for different reasons.

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