The Ohio State football program is set to dominate the upcoming NFL Draft. The first player that will be picked off the board for the Buckeyes will most likely be edge rusher Arvell Reese. He has incredible skills and the potential to showcase his amazing athleticism at the NFL Combine. Those were on top of how productive Reese was during his entire time in Columbus.
On the latest episode of ESPN's “NFL Draft Daily,” draft analyst Matt Miller detailed what it would take for Reese to potentially be picked with the No. 2 overall pick by the New York Jets. The biggest deciding factor might be the upside he represents, especially his speed off the edge.
Miller specifically said about Reese's overall NFL potential, “We're all fascinated with the idea that we want that Micah Parsons or Abdul Carter type speed around the edge, [Arvell] Reese showed that.”
When speaking with the media at the NFL Combine, Reese confirmed that he had already met with the Jets. There is no guarantee he will go to the Jets, but it makes sense that New York might want to get to know him a little better.
Reese played all over Ohio State’s front seven last season, and the Buckeyes’ defense led the FBS by allowing only 9.3 points per game. Reese would play off-ball linebacker but also line up on the edge in pass-rushing situations. That’s similar to Micah Parsons’ role at Penn State.
He did say that when asked where he might want to play, he prefers to play on the outside at linebacker or as an edge rusher. Which also makes sense because that's where he's excelled the most, and it's been a position with a lot of value in the NFL.
Reese said he was on the edge about 60% of the time last season, and he has room to grow as a full-time edge player. He had only 6.5 sacks last season, mostly because he wasn’t rushing all the time and kept moving around the defensive line.
“I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I really can do pass-rushing,” Reese said.
