INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State’s Arvell Reese made it clear at the NFL combine: He views himself more as an outside linebacker/edge rusher than an off-the-ball linebacker in the pros.
“Teams have pretty much been asking me what I want to do and see where my mind was at. I’ve been telling them I think I’m an outside linebacker/edge,” Reese stated Wednesday. “I haven’t even scratched the surface with really what I can do pass rushing.”
Reese’s position fit is one of the compelling questions in the 2026 NFL draft, as he projects as a potential top-five pick after totaling 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks last season. He stated he plans to run the 40-yard dash at the combine, while also taking part in outside linebacker/edge and off-the-ball linebacker drills.
Editor’s Picks
Kiper’s new NFL mock draft heading into the combine: Which teams could land a playmaker in Round 1?
Mel Kiper Jr.
Kiper’s updated 2026 Big Board: Ranking the top 25 NFL draft prospects, plus position reports
Mel Kiper Jr.
2026 draft prospects get important advice from NFL rookies: Have a ‘no’ person, don’t compare
Sarah Barshop
2 Related
In his just in mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Reese going No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans.
Reese, 20, stated he has already met with the New York Jets (No. 2 pick), Arizona Cardinals (No. 3) and Cleveland Browns (No. 6), among others. He shared that in his meeting with the Jets, coaches installed a defensive package and wanted to see how he responded to it mentally.
Reese credited Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and linebackers coach James Laurinaitis for preparing him for the NFL, noting that Patricia — the longtime former New England Patriots assistant — previously showed him tape of former NFL linebacker Jamie Collins because of their similar versatility.
Reese acknowledged he will need to get bigger as an outside linebacker/edge in the NFL but felt he showed the ability to set the edge against the run at that spot in college. He described his pass-rush approach as a mix of “speed and power.”
