Draft-Week Buzz
- 2026-04-14 [Pro Day] — Posted 4.58 40 + 36" vertical + 20 reps at 243 — confirmed EDGE/LB hybrid profile
- 2026-04-07 [Jets brass] — Attended his Pro Day; pairs with Sonny Styles as potential #2/#5 targets
- 2026-03-28 [Dane Brugler] — Described as 'Micah Parsons comp that holds up' in The Beast 2026
Buzz items pulled from beat-writer reports, ESPN/NFL.com transactions, Pro Day recaps, and verified Top 30 visit reports in the 30 days leading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Each linked headline goes to the original source. See our full draft-week news tab for cross-prospect timeline.
Attended Glenville HS in Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio Division IV Defensive Player
of the Year. Won a state championship in high school. Rated as a 4-star recruit. Committed to
Ohio State over local competitors.
COLLEGE: Limited role as a true frosh in 2023 due to a concussion (six games, no stats).
Contributed as a special-teamer in 2023 and as a rotational player behind Sonny Styles and
Cody Simon in 2024. Exploded in 2025: 62 tackles, 10 TFL, 6.5 sacks — anchored the nation's
stingiest defense (7.8 PPG allowed). Stands 6-4, 243 pounds with elite length and lower-body
power. A hybrid defender used as both off-ball LB and stand-up EDGE.
DRAFT PROJECTION: Round 1 top-5. Declared January 8, 2026. Pro comp: Micah Parsons / Abdul
Carter. Jets at #2 are a perfect schematic fit. Jeremiah has him #5 overall. Key question: is
he an off-ball LB or a full-time EDGE at the next level?
Scouting Profile
Combine / Pro Day Measurables (reported)
| 40-yard dash | 4.58 |
| Vertical jump (in) | 36.0 |
| Broad jump | 10'2" |
| Bench press (225 reps) | 20 reps |
| 3-cone drill | 7.08 |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.27 |
| Wingspan | 82.5" |
| Hand size | 10 1/4" |
Numbers compiled from NFL Scouting Combine results, Pro Day box scores, and beat-writer reports. "Reported" means cross-referenced against multiple sources; verify on nfl.com/combine for definitive marks.
College Career Stats
- 2023 OSU (Fr): 6 games, special teams only (concussion)
- 2024 OSU (So): rotational behind Styles + Cody Simon, 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks
- 2025 OSU (Jr): 62 tackles, 10 TFL, 6.5 sacks — anchor of the #1 scoring D (7.8 PPG)
Strengths
- EDGE/LB hybrid versatility — can rush from the edge or drop into coverage
- Elite first-step burst off the snap
- 82.5" wingspan stresses tackles' kick-slide protection
- Heavy power on the bull rush — converts speed to power cleanly
- Lower-body explosiveness translates to angle of attack vs the run
Weaknesses / Areas to Develop
- Pass-rush counter plan is still raw — relies on first-move wins
- Only one full year of starter snaps; consistency week-to-week unproven
- Position designation matters — NFL teams will need to commit to EDGE or off-ball
NFL Pro Comparison
Micah Parsons — same dual-eligible EDGE/LB profile, similar burst, similar coverage upside, similar physical traits
Mock-Draft Consensus
| ESPN (Jordan Reid) | PFF Big Board | Jeremiah Top 50 | Consensus Avg | Realistic Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4 | #2 | #5 | #3.7 | Picks 2-8 |
30-day trend: Rising after Pro Day
Ranks cross-referenced from ESPN's Jordan Reid top-500, PFF's 2026 Big Board top-200, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50 (NFL.com). Realistic draft-night range reflects projected team fit and trade scenarios, not just big-board placement.
Advanced Stats & Production
| 2025 PFF pass-rush | 90.8 |
| PFF run defense | 84.5 |
| Pass-rush win rate | 22% |
| Pressure rate | 18% |
| Sacks | 6.5 |
Metrics blended from PFF grade sheets, school box scores, and Combine/Pro Day box scores. Position-specific: QB shows efficiency + turnover rates, WR/TE show route-running + contested-catch, OL shows pass-block grade + pressures allowed, EDGE/IDL show pass-rush win rate + pressure rate, LB/DB show coverage grade + missed-tackle rate.
Outcome Range
- Floor: Designated pass rusher with 7-8 sacks/yr
- Median: Pro Bowl off-ball LB or 12-sack EDGE
- Ceiling: Parsons-tier All-Pro defensive cornerstone — DPOY trajectory
Scheme Fit
Multiple-front 3-4 OLB or 4-3 SAM where he can rush on 3rd downs and play coverage on 1st-2nd; perfect for a Mike Macdonald / Dan Quinn scheme
Pre-Draft Visits
Top-30 visits reported with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns
Signature College Game
2025 vs Penn State: 3 sacks, 5 TFL, 1 forced fumble — single-handedly disrupted the PSU offense in a 24-3 win
Sources
Our scouting profile is assembled from these primary sources + cross-checked against ESPN (Kiper / Reid / Miller), PFF's 2026 Big Board, Dane Brugler's The Beast 2026, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50. See our full methodology and citations.
Day 2 / Day 3 Team Fits
NFL teams that lost a same-position veteran this offseason — and could target Arvell Reese as a Day 2/3 replacement option.
- VERIFIED Kansas City Chiefs: moved on from Michael Danna (speed-rusher) on 2026-02-23. [verified]
Picks held: R1 #9; R1 #29 via Los Angeles Rams; R2 #40 - REPORTED Miami Dolphins: moved on from Bradley Chubb (speed-rusher).
Picks held: R1 #11; R1 #30 via Denver; R2 #43 - REPORTED Green Bay Packers: moved on from Rashan Gary (power-rusher).
Picks held: R2 #52
Confidence: "VERIFIED" departures cite a publication URL (Spotrac, OverTheCap, ESPN, NFL.com, team transactions page) confirming the move and date. "REPORTED" entries come from public free-agency trackers without a single canonical source we could attach. Fits are archetype-and-position based; we are not claiming the team has expressed interest in the prospect.
NFL Scheme Fit
NFL Scheme Fit
- 3-4 OLB / sub-package speed rusher
Pittsburgh Steelers · Dallas Cowboys · Los Angeles Chargers · Houston Texans
Scheme matches are bucketed from the prospect's height, weight, and (for WRs) archetype tag against a static lookup of which NFL teams currently run each scheme family.
Rookie Contract & Landing-Spot Outlook
Projected Rookie Contract Value
~$34.0M – $52.0M (4-year deal) · Pick range: #1-5 · ~100% guaranteed
Mid-pick band — guarantee % varies pick-to-pick
Best-Case / Worst-Case Landing Spot
Why: EDGE listed in their top-5 positional needs.
Year-1 arc: Day-1 starter window with cap-controlled rookie-contract production.
Why: runs a scheme that doesn't naturally amplify his profile.
Year-1 arc: Depth-chart competition + special-teams reps as Year-1 baseline.
Contract band uses the 2026 NFL CBA rookie wage scale projected from the prospect's expected pick range; guarantee % is the slot-default at that pick. Landing-spot best/worst case is derived from TEAMS data (positional needs + scheme overlap minus same-position R1 conflicts) — not a claim that either team has expressed interest.
Versatility, Limits & Roster Pathway
Position Versatility & Alternative Roles
- Stand-up OLB / 3-4 only — Sub-245 frame caps base-down 4-3 DE snaps; fits as a 3-4 OLB / sub-package speed rusher.
Biggest Limiting Trait MED
7th-percentile weight for the position — Frame is among the lightest at the position in the 2026 class — anchor + collision durability are the typical scout flags.
Derived from height/weight against the 2026 position cohort and the prospect's projected round. Versatility callouts identify alternate alignments NFL teams have historically used for similar size profiles. Limiting-trait notes flag the single most-cited measurable concern; severity reflects how often that flag ends a Day 1 starter projection. Roster-pathway notes describe the realistic Year 1 NFL role for Day 3 picks.
By the Numbers — 2026 Class Context
- Frame: Among 2026 EDGE prospects, his 6-4 / 243 lbs frame sits at the 81st percentile in height and 7th percentile in weight.
- Position class: Arvell Reese is EDGE #1 of 27 ranked EDGEs in the 2026 class. Of those, 8 are projected in the R1 range.
- School pipeline: One of 9 Ohio State prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft — but the only EDGE.
- Recruiting arc: Was a 4-star recruit but is now projected R1 — outperformed his recruiting profile.
Computed factually from the 2026 prospect class roster — height/weight percentiles benchmark this player against every other ranked prospect at the same position. Recruiting arc compares his high-school 247Sports/Rivals composite to his current projected round.
Arvell Reese’s NFL Archetype: Haason Reddick
Haason Reddick (Philadelphia Eagles)
Closest EDGE physical profile in the modern NFL: 6-4/243 lbs. Same frame, same role bucket — NOT a talent or career-arc projection.
Note: this is a physical-profile match — frame, position, role bucket. Not a talent or career-arc projection.
Similar EDGE Rusher Prospects
Closest matches to Arvell Reese (6-4 / 243 lbs, #1 EDGE) by ranking proximity and physical profile. SIZE MATCH = within 1″ height and 10 lbs; TIER MATCH = within 2 ranking spots.
- David BaileySIZE MATCH Texas Tech · 6-3/250 lbs · #3 EDGE · R1 top 12
- Rueben Bain Jr.TIER MATCH Miami (FL) · 6-3/275 lbs · #2 EDGE · R1 top 10
- TJ Parker Clemson · 6-3/260 lbs · #5 EDGE · R1
- Akheem Mesidor Miami (FL) · 6-4/265 lbs · #6 EDGE · R1
- Gabe Jacas Illinois · 6-4/255 lbs · #8 EDGE · R1-R2
Ohio State & The 2026 Class
More from Ohio State
- Kayden McDonald · IDL #2 · R1
- Ethan Onianwa · IOL #27 · R7
- Sonny Styles · LB #1 · R1 top 5
- CJ Donaldson · RB #27 · UDFA
- Caleb Downs · S #1 · R1 top 3
Other R1 top 5 prospects in the 2026 class
Different positions, same projected draft tier as Arvell Reese.
- Fernando Mendoza · QB · Indiana
- Jeremiyah Love · RB · Notre Dame
- Francis Mauigoa · OT · Miami (FL)