Reese leads rookie linebackers with 88.2 preseason grade

Five-player list is separated by just 7.8 points

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 301 min read

Highest defensive grade among rookie LB this preseason (min 20 snaps) Arvell Reese 88.2 Harold Perkin Via @PFF on X

What happened: PFF set a 20-snap minimum; Harold Perkins Jr. ranked second at 81.7 and Jack Kelly third at 81.4. Josiah Trotter (80.5) and Tahj Chambers (80.4) completed the top five.

Why it matters: The ranking provides an early performance marker as clubs set regular-season linebacker rotations. Limited preseason samples leave those roles open to change as snap counts rise.

By the numbers: Reese finished 6.5 points ahead of Perkins, 6.8 ahead of Kelly, 7.7 ahead of Trotter and 7.8 ahead of Chambers. Perkins and Kelly were separated by 0.3 points; Trotter and Chambers by 0.1.

What to watch: Regular-season snap shares will show whether the five rookies convert their preseason marks into sustained roles.

Sources

@PFF 2026-08-30T18:13:02.342329+00:00

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