Arvell Reese Says It Would Be Amazing To Be Drafted by Hometown Cleveland Browns

In an exclusive interview with Cleveland Browns On SI, Arvell Reese expressed his interest in playing for his hometown team and suiting up on the same defensive line as Myles Garrett.

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) leaves the field following the NCAA football game against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025. Ohio State won 37-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Cleveland Browns will enter Thursday’s NFL Draft with two glaring needs – a left tackle and a wide receiver.

But Browns general manager Andrew Berry has never been one to draft for need. Instead, the Browns view the NFL Draft as a way to land longer-term investments by drafting the best player available.

At No. 6 overall, what if the best player is Ohio State’s Arvell Reese?

In an exclusive interview with the BIGPLAY Sports Network's Cleveland Browns On SI at Raising Cane’s in Pittsburgh, the breakout Ohio State star said it would be amazing to play for the Browns.

“That would be amazing,” Reese said. “That would be amazing to play alongside Myles Garrett in my hometown.”

Ohio State's Arvell Reese went 1-on-1 with @NickPedone12 in Pittsburgh before the 2026 NFL Draft @raisingcanes 👀

“That would be amazing to play alongside Myles Garrett in my hometown.”

-@arvxll pic.twitter.com/ODv1RaB9BL

— BIGPLAY (@BIGPLAY) April 22, 2026

Reese said it would be a blessing to play for any NFL organization, but he graduated from Glenville High School before playing college football at Ohio State. 

“I think little Arvell would be excited,” Reese said when asked about what his younger self would think about the fanfare leading up to the draft. “This is everything that I’ve dreamed of. I have been playing for Glenville since I was five. Just everything that led up to this moment, I think my younger self would be excited.”

Reese exploded onto the scene with the Buckeyes in 2025, leading the top-rated Ohio State defense from the first game of the season all the way into the College Football Playoff. He compiled 69 total sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Would Reese be a fit for the Browns at No. 6 overall?

Reese met with the Browns at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He also visited with his hometown team on an official top 30 visit leading up to the NFL Draft.

With that context, it’s fair to say that the Browns have some interest in the 6-foot-4 outside linebacker. Even though Reese is expected to be one of the first overall players to hear his name called on Thursday, he’d instantly become the “top player on the board” if he were to somehow make it to Cleveland at No. 6 overall.

Reese would be the most talented prospect that has ever played on the opposite side of Garrett. Last year, Berry bolstered the defensive line by selecting Michigan’s Mason Graham at No. 5 overall. Adding a top-rated Buckeyes pass rusher to that unit would give the Browns one of the most talented defensive lines of this generation.

The 20-year-old describes his game as violent and plays with relentless effort. The Browns love finding value in the NFL Draft, and a player of Reese’s caliber would fit the bill at No. 6 overall.