One of the most physically imposing, highest upside, and athletically gifted players of the 2026 NFL Draft class, Arvell Reese has been on everyone’s mind since the beginning of the 2025 season. In short order, Reese went from an unknown to the hottest commodity. Fresh off his breakout campaign with Ohio State, Reese declared for the draft and is currently projected to be one of the first players off the board. Is he worth the pick?
2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Arvell Reese
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 243 pounds
Arms: TBD
Hands: TBD
40-yard: TBD
Vertical: TBD
Broad jump: TBD
RAS: TBD
School: Ohio State
Position: OLB/EDGE
We will come back and update numbers following the Scouting Combine and/or Pro Day.
Arvell Reese NFL Draft Overview
Coming from an Ohio State pipeline, Reese was a four-star recruit out of Glenville High School. From Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith to Ted Ginn Jr., Cardale Jones, Donte Whitner, and Marshon Lattimore, the Glenville-to-Ohio State pipeline has been strong, and Reese is just the latest (with another top talent committed to the 2026 class).
Initially, 247Sports considered Reese to be a Day 3 pick, so needless to say, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis has gotten the most out of the freak athlete. As a true freshman, Reese appeared in just six games but did not record any stats. He earned a rotational role as part of Ohio State’s national championship-winning team. He appeared in all 16 games for a total of 307 defensive snaps (third-most on the team). That year, Reese totaled 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and half of a sack.
Then came his breakout season. Reese took over as a full-time linebacker next to fellow future first-round pick Sonny Styles. As the starter, Reese dominated to the tune of 69 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two pass breakups.
He earned the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year Award and was a consensus All-American.
Strengths
- As sure a tackler as you’d find
- Truly versatile, can play on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker
- Great football IQ and instincts, is often in the right spot in run defense
- An absolute athletic specimen
- Has sideline-to-sideline speed
- Elite downhill trigger in run defense
- Can manhandle 300+ pound offensive linemen
- Won’t turn 21 until the preseason
Weaknesses
- Not going to be able to man up on tight ends in coverage
- Zone coverage needs work
- Disappeared down the stretch (one TFL, zero sacks over final six games; only one game in that stretch with more than three tackles)
- Can be too aggressive coming downhill, taking himself out of the play
- Only one full season as a starter
Projection: Top-five pick
Best Fits: Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals
Let Arvell Reese rush the passer pic.twitter.com/fmLrUj09B5
— Drew Beatty (@IronCityFilm) February 11, 2026
Bottom Line on Arvell Reese
While on the surface, it doesn’t look like Reese is as much of a can’t-miss prospect as the past few seasons of EDGE rushers, his upside is far too good to overstate. He is an incredibly raw prospect in this year’s class, but what he has shown with Ohio State was more than enough to get NFL Draft experts salivating.
While at Ohio State, Reese was primarily an off-ball linebacker on what could have been considered the best defense in the country. In that role, he was so dominant that opposing offenses had to game plan around where he was, hence his disappearing act down the stretch. Despite that, Reese was one of the more productive and imposing players in all of college football.
He could be a regular stand-up EDGE or an outside linebacker in a 3-4 system in the NFL. It will be interesting to see what kind of defense he will be drafted into, but it feels like Reese is headed for being a top-five player at his position once he really gets going.
There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Arvell Reese in the NFL. Whether he goes second overall or drops outside the top five, Reese is going to be a day-one impact player. He’s young, so he will just be turning 21 in his first season.
If you’re into IDP fantasy football, he will be worth a high pick.