Why Ohio State’s Arvell Reese Might Be Overrated Ahead of NFL Draft

Ohio State edge rusher/linebacker Arvell Reese is widely considered to be a top five pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Most mocks have Reese as the overwhelming favorite to land with the New York Jets courtesy of the second pick in the Draft’s opening round.

Maybe that’s too high.

Reese’s numbers from last week’s NFL combine were eye-opening. The junior posted a blazing 40 time of 4.46 seconds. He also measured in at a shade over 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds. He certainly looks the part.

But lost in the measurables and testing times is his production, or at times, lack thereof.

Reese finished his 2025 junior season with 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks. But, excluding OSU’s opener versus Texas when Reese recorded nine tackles and a sack, he failed to make much of an impact in some of Ohio State’s biggest games, especially late in the season.

In the Buckeyes’ final three games — at Michigan, against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, and versus Miami in the College Football Playoff — Reese had only seven combined tackles, four of which were solo stops. Throughout those last three games, the last two of which Ohio State lost, Reese did not record a sack or a tackle for loss.

If not for the box score, those watching couldn’t be certain he suited up.

The lack of an impact by Reese could result in hesitation from NFL teams picking early in next month’s Draft. In three seasons (he played in six games but did not record a statistic during his 2023 freshman campaign), Reese totaled seven sacks — none after Ohio State’s eighth game last fall — and did not intercept a pass, or force or recover a fumble. This despite spending time both as a rusher and in coverage.

Reese had a quiet second half of the season

He was often double-teamed when rushing the passer and his versatility allowed Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to line Reese up in different spots across the defense with a variety of responsibilities.

But Reese certainly isn’t the first player to be double-teamed and draw the attention of an offense. Should a scheme be able to completely eliminate that type of player’s impact? How about three weeks in a row during what are the three biggest games of a team’s season? You would expect your stud to flash at least a handful of times in those moments.

Cleveland’s Myles Garrett set the NFL sack record last fall while constantly being double and triple teamed for a losing team. Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby is often unblockable on a Raiders team that finished the season as the NFL’s worst team. Micah Parsons has been a constant in opposing teams’ backfields despite spending most of his career with an average Dallas Cowboys team.

Will Reese be able to make an impact in the NFL when schemed against, especially when likely without the luxury of being surrounded by other star players along the defense? For comparison, Ohio State defenders, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Kayden McDonald are all projected as first rounders this spring. Would the Jets, or a team picking within the first five to seven selections, have that kind of talent around Reese?

This is not to say Reese, a 20-year-old All-American, is destined to be a bust. His talent is undeniable. The question is if he’s the type of game-wrecker a franchise hopes to land when selecting within the Draft’s first five selections.

Buyer beware.