{"id":775739,"date":"2026-02-25T16:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T16:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/775739\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T16:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T16:00:15","slug":"arvell-reese-speaks-honest-thoughts-on-jets-organization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/775739\/","title":{"rendered":"Arvell Reese speaks honest thoughts on Jets organization"},"content":{"rendered":"

He\u2019s the betting favorite to be the first non-quarterback taken in the 2026 draft. Most mock drafts<\/a> have him landing with the New York Jets at second overall.<\/p>\n

When Arvell Reese stepped to the podium on Wednesday morning at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, the Ohio State product acknowledged he has much to improve to become the player he is expected to be at the professional level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t even scratched the surface of what I could do pass rushing,\u201d said the 20-year-old.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s hard to imagine for one of the top defenders in the nation last season. Reese was a finalist for the national Butkus Award and a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award. He was also a consensus All-American while recording 69 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss.<\/p>\n

Reese told Jets X-Factor that he met with the Jets personally in Indianapolis, a common practice for teams picking in the top five with top prospects. It was something the 20-year-old did not take lightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be amazing,\u201d Reese said when asked about potentially playing for the Jets. <\/a>\u201cJust getting a chance to be in the NFL would be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese\u2019s media availability was notable not just for learning who has met with the Ohio State star, but also for finding out exactly where he expects to play at the NFL level.<\/p>\n

Position alignment<\/p>\n

Reese made it abundantly clear at the combine on Wednesday\u2014while he\u2019s been considered one of the best off-ball linebackers in recent memory, his desired position will change at the professional level.<\/p>\n

He wants to be an edge rusher or outside linebacker, depending on the scheme\u2014backed by a desire to get after the quarterback, and put immediate pressure on opposing offenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeams just pretty much have been asking me what I wanted to do. Just seeing where my mind is at,\u201d Reese said<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve just been telling them I think I\u2019m an outside linebacker, edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knows he still has a way to go before that happens, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of things I have to get better at. I think I can adapt to it quickly. \u2026 It\u2019s what I did last year. I was down on the line at five-down, and when we went four-down, I was off the ball. I\u2019m used to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese\u2019s upside is often compared to that of another off-ball linebacker who made the shift to a full-time edge role in the NFL: current Green Bay Packers All-Pro Micah Parsons.<\/p>\n

Parsons began his career as the 12th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys as an off-ball MIKE linebacker. He quickly switched to edge rusher in the NFL once the team realized the Penn State product\u2019s speed and pass-rushing ability were far greater than anything he could contribute as an off-ball player.<\/p>\n

Reese understands that his role will change depending on the team that drafts him. In a league that is preaching defenses to be more multiple, or using different alignments depending on the offense they face, the Ohio State product is the kind of unicorn that will entice pro teams.<\/p>\n

His college coaches will only help enhance that belief.<\/p>\n

NFL pedigree<\/p>\n

Most college athletes choose their schools based on the university\u2019s professional pedigree. For many, that means the school must have something of a pipeline straight to the NFL.<\/p>\n

Ohio State certainly has that.<\/a> But it\u2019s not what makes Reese an intriguing prospect, or any more than he already is.<\/p>\n

Over the last two seasons, the Buckeyes\u2019 defense has been coached by former NFL defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and linebacker coach James Laurinaitis. Reese credited both for getting him to where he is now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely benefited a lot from Matt Patricia,\u201d Reese said. \u201cI gained a bunch of knowledge from him. There are some things I picked up from him, and didn\u2019t realize it until right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patricia used Reese in a similar way that the New England Patriots used former All-Pro linebacker Jamie Collins.<\/a> It was the comparison that Reese specifically spoke about when trying to explain who he was looking to emulate at the NFL level.<\/p>\n

While Patricia helped Reese prepare for NFL-style defenses, it was Laurinaitis who prepared the Cleveland native to play the actual linebacker position.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helped a lot learning from James,\u201d Reese explained. \u201cI had him for all three years, so I benefited a lot from him. It\u2019s always good to have someone who played the game and was in the same shoes as you. He poured a lot into me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding college players who won\u2019t be overwhelmed by NFL schemes and styles is an important distinction organizations must make at this time of year. For Reese, his pedigree as a player of a former NFL coordinator and Pro Bowl linebacker stands out as a logical plug-and-play player on Sundays.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jets fit<\/p>\n

Beyond just revealing that he met with the Jets, Reese explained what his conversation with the organization was actually like. He described it as an \u201cinstallation period\u201d <\/a>in which New York was testing where the linebacker\u2019s head was at.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a serious organization,\u201d Reese told Jets X-Factor. \u201cI respect the guys I met with, the work they did for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York has needs at both of Reese\u2019s possible positions. Former All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams is expected to hit free agency, and the organization has legitimate questions surrounding their past two first-round edge rushers when it comes to being every-down performers.<\/p>\n

Reese touted his run defense as a reason to request his position be solely on the edge at the NFL level. He explained on Wednesday how Ohio State would put him there not just to rush the passer, but to set the edge against the run. He was even used in coverage from that spot.<\/p>\n

The Jets know their defense is going to look different this year because of head coach Aaron Glenn taking over play-calling duties<\/a>. Gang Green, therefore, is in desperate need of top players who can be used in multiple looks.<\/p>\n

Reese is the poster child of a player who can play in multiple looks. It\u2019s a big reason why he remains a quality fit<\/a> for the Jets with the second overall pick.<\/p>\n

Reporting from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"He\u2019s the betting favorite to be the first non-quarterback taken in the 2026 draft. Most mock drafts have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":681726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2051],"tags":[2222,331,7,3228,226,1917,255,2321,2097,6,15,3231,3234],"class_list":{"0":"post-775739","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-jets","8":"tag-arvell-reese","9":"tag-college-football","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-free-content","12":"tag-jets","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-jets","15":"tag-newyork","16":"tag-newyorkjets","17":"tag-nfl","18":"tag-nfl-draft","19":"tag-ny-jets-news","20":"tag-standard"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116132107202521678","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=775739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/681726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=775739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=775739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=775739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}