Arvell Reese admission should compel Jets to draft him even more

The New York Jets' draft day debate rages on, as fans and analysts argue over who should be the pick once the Jets get on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Should they take Texas Tech's David Bailey? Add the polished pass rusher to their ranks and ensure they get an impact player on Day 1? Or do they take a swing at Arvell Reese, the player with arguably the most upside of any player in the class, with the size and athleticism?

There's really no wrong answer between the two great defensive prospects, and it all boils down to personal preference. But it will be on Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn to figure out which player is best for the Jets.

Reese's upside may be too difficult to ignore at this point, and after an interview with ESPN's Benjamin Solak, it's hard not to feel like he was just barely scratching the surface at Ohio State.

Potential Jets target Arvell Reese made up his pass rush moves at Ohio State

Reese and Solak were watching some of the Buckeyes' film together, going through Reese's best moments on the field. After a clip of him beating a tackle and flushing the quarterback out of the pocket, the hybrid linebacker admitted he was just making stuff up.

"Literally, like, I didn't even have a name for what I just did...I didn't even, I didn't even have a name for what I just did. This was just kind of like, just out of the blue. Like, never, never really did this. I did a couple times in practice, but never really, like, perfected this move to just go out there and do it."

Arvell Reese

Did you hear that? Eight sacks for Reese this season without any real pass-rush moves. Relying on pure athleticism and power, the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Reese was able to disrupt opposing quarterbacks with ease.

Reese will have plenty of time to work on his pass-rushing skills with New York, defensive line coach Karl Dunbar will mold him like a fresh block of clay.

It's anecdotes like these that make Reese seem like the correct choice at No. 2 overall. Yes, Bailey doesn't need to perfect his swim move or work on beating offensive tackles off the edge, but Reese can do things Bailey can't outside of pass rushing.

There are a few things that translate to the NFL better than others, and athleticism is one of them. Reese has it in bounds, and it allowed him to do whatever he wanted to do at the college ranks, and still produce.