But should he be under consideration for a Cardinals team in a continued rebuild? It depends on how you weigh the pros and cons.<\/p>\n
Pros and cons of Arvell Reese<\/p>\n
The pass-rushing instincts are there<\/p>\n
Reese brings with him plenty of versatility to impact a defense both on and off the ball.<\/p>\n
After seeing just six snaps on the outside in 2024, the 6-foot-4, 241-pounder saw more time on the edge in 2025 with 327 snaps on the outside compared to 286 in the box.<\/p>\n
The results were career marks for Reese, an All-American nod and first-round projection. He added a blazing 4.46-second 40-yard dash<\/a> at the NFL Draft Combine.<\/p>\n This week’s “Arvell Reese is really freaking good” tweet.<\/p>\n Speed. Burst. Violence. What a weapon. pic.twitter.com\/fnQ1moA83a<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The crazy part? Reese feels he\u2019s just \u201cscratching the surface\u201d in a role he\u2019s ready to own.<\/p>\n \u201cTeams have pretty much been asking me what I want to do and see where my mind was at,\u201d Reese told reporters at the combine. \u201cI\u2019ve been telling them I think I\u2019m an outside linebacker\/edge. I haven\u2019t even scratched the surface with really what I can do pass rushing.\u201d<\/p>\n Refining his abilities as a pass rusher and really diving<\/a> into the craft could make him an absolute problem in a Cardinals defense that loves it some versatility under coordinator Nick Rallis and needs a legit running mate opposite edge rusher Josh Sweat.<\/p>\n Take out Sweat\u2019s team-leading 12 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, and Arizona\u2019s pass-rushing room combined for just 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.<\/p>\n Sweat is Arizona\u2019s premier pass rusher. Double-digit sacks and TFLs should be the norm. But not having a consistent threat opposite the veteran gives opposing offenses one less thing to worry about.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no substitute for experience<\/p>\n There\u2019s a yin to the scratching-the-surface yang when it comes to Reese.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret he\u2019s still raw at the position. Working off speed and strength alone has gotten him to this point. Now, it\u2019s about taking that next step and nailing down the proper technique to succeed on a consistent basis at the NFL level.<\/p>\n But can the Cardinals really afford to take a chance at No. 3 overall on a prospect who isn\u2019t nearly as polished as Texas Tech\u2019s David Bailey or Miami\u2019s Rueben Bain Jr at his position? <\/p>\n After all, Reese had just 138 pass-rushing reps combined at Ohio State (119 in 2025), according to Pro Football Focus. That\u2019s a far cry from Bailey (904) and Bain (1,149). <\/p>\n Misdirection and play actions, two things he would see plenty of in the NFC West, caused him fits at times last year. Bulking up just a little more at the position wouldn\u2019t hurt, either. Neither would having a concrete pass-rushing plan, a key part to winning at the NFL level.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the hybrid side of the argument.<\/p>\n Versatility is great to have in the NFL, as long as you can properly utilize it.<\/p>\n The Cardinals, while ran by another regime entirely, haven\u2019t had the best track record when it comes to tweener linebackers.<\/p>\n That\u2019s more of a knock on the franchise not having a clear (or appropriate) plan than it is Reese. Still, it\u2019s something that plenty of Cardinals fans have bad flashbacks about.<\/p>\n Coming away with Reese, who FanDuel Sportsbook has as the favorite<\/a> to go No. 3 overall, wouldn\u2019t be the end of the world for Arizona by any means, as long as there is a concrete plan moving forward.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/AZSportsEmail-830x100-1.jpg\")
\t