2026 NFL Draft: Ohio State LB Arvell Reese

Arvell Reese is a freakish talent who can play off-the-ball linebacker or outside linebacker/edge rusher.

Most would argue that his versatility is a plus. The team that drafts him will have the option of either playing him in one position or the other or perhaps moving him around by situation. Maybe he plays off the ball on early downs and then can get after the quarterback in obvious passing situations.

Some might argue that moving around in college makes him a bit of a “tweener.” If you’re getting half off-the-ball linebacker and half edge rusher, can he be good enough at either to be worth a top-5 or potentially even the 2nd overall pick? If the team that takes him wants him to specialize, it could take some time for him to truly grasp whichever position he takes on permanently.

The view on Reese will certainly vary by which team drafts him and how they plan to use him. While I’d prefer to see Reese play on the edge and rush the passer as much as possible, I think his versatility, especially in today’s NFL, is a huge plus.

Wherever he plays, just check out that speed when he’s able to cut it loose:

He moves at a different pace than everyone else on the field.

As an outside linebacker, he’s got the violence, aggressiveness, and power to set the edge in the run game, and he’s got the speed to chase down ball carriers from the back side:

He is effective enough at dropping out into coverage and can track down ball carriers when playing off the ball:

In general, I do think he’s a little stiff in coverage at times. That’s one reason why, over the long term, I’d prefer to see him spend most of his time rushing the passer.

Just check out his ridiculous speed and bend off the edge:

As you could see on that play, he didn’t exactly get off the ball quickly and he was still nearly untouched.

He’s also got the raw power to run through offensive tackles: