Arvell Reese gives Jets crystal clear answer on what position he will play in NFL

One of the great riddles in the 2026 NFL Draft is figuring out how to use projected No. 2 overall pick and possible New York Jets selection Arvell Reese. Some believe he is better suited for his college position of inside linebacker, while many want him to kick to edge rusher.

Reese himself has already gotten out in front of those questions, giving the Jets and other teams a strong answer by saying that he is eyeing the role of traditional pass rusher 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 said to assembled media at the NFL Combine. "I haven't even scratched the surface with really what I can do pass rushing."

Jets NFL Draft target Arvell Reese says he wants to play edge rusher in the pros

Reese had only 121 true pass rush snaps under his belt last season, but he made the most of them with an absurd pass rush win rate of over 22% last season. However, the blend of dominance on the edge, pure power, and verstaility are all contributing to his ranking as high as No. 1 overall on many big boards.

The other competitors for the No. 2 pick seem to be a pair of pass rushers in Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. and Texas Tech's David Bailey. However, in terms of ceiling, neither of them can hold a candle to Reese, thanks to some of their own flaws that need to be addressed.

Bailey, who only has one season of elite production after transferring from Stanford, needs to show he can be a great run defender in the pros. Bain seems like a great selection, but with historically short arms, some fans might worry if he has the athleticism to become an All-Pro player.

Reese is not only in attendance at the Combine, but he is planning to do all of the drills at both linebacker and edge. Reese is likely a locked-in top-five pick with nothing to gain from working out here, which makes his desire to do all of these drills say a lot about his football character.

If Reese ends up checking all of the athletic boxes the Jets want to see at the Combine, and impresses them in the meetings, he could walk out of Indianapolis secure in the knowledge that he will be headed to New York at No. 2 overall.