Cowboys Coach Gets Up Close & Personal Look at Elite 2026 NFL Draft Prospect

One player the Dallas Cowboys should have an eye on in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft is Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.

Reese is widely considered one of the best prospects in the 2026 NFL draft, which also means the Cowboys would almost certainly have to trade up from No. 12 overall to get him.

While that's pretty much cemented, where Reese ends up playing in the NFL is not.

Reese was an elite talent as an off-ball linebacker in college, but there are no shortage of analysts who believe he will play along the edge in the NFL.

In fact, even Reese believes he's an edge rusher at the next level.

"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," he said. "I haven't even scratched the surface with really what I can do pass rushing."

Either way, Reese would be a fit for the Cowboys, who have needs at both inside linebacker and edge rusher going into the draft.

Arvell Reese working with Brandon Jordan

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese reacts during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers — Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the draft approaching next month, Reese is putting in some extra work to fine tune his pass-rushing skills.

And he is doing so by working with Cowboys coach Brandon Jordan, who was hired by Dallas as a pass-rush specialist consultant in February.

Crafting @arvxll pic.twitter.com/nJ9fyVXSnD
— Coach Brandon Jordan (@CoachBTJordan) March 29, 2026

Jordan is also the Founder and CEO of Trench Performance and has become renowned for his work with defensive linemen over the years.

Safe to say, there are few people on this planet better equipped to help Reese improve his skills than Jordan, who will also be getting an up-close-and-personal look at the Ohio State product for the Cowboys.

Could Cowboys trade up for Arvell Reese?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before a game against the Minnesota Vikings. — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Anything is possible in the NFL, but it would be surprising if the Cowboys could pull it off, first and foremost because it would be very expensive to move up to a spot where Reese can be picked.

Even if Reese makes it past the New York Jets at No. 2, something we're very skeptical of, there are still a slew of teams behind Gang Green that could draft him.

So, don't get your hopes up, Cowboys fans.