Why Arvell Reese Is Emerging As Real Jets Draft Target

The New York Jets are going to have plenty of options on the table in front of them when they are on the clock with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 National Football League Draft, barring some sort of trade.

Last year, the Jets had the No. 7 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and used it on offensive tackle Armand Membou. The move worked out and he looked like a star in the making throughout the 2025 season. Membou finished the 2025 season with a 72.7 PFF grade (31st out of 89 qualified offensive tackles). To do this as a rookie offensive lineman is quite rare. He's a special talent and the Jets hit that pick out of the park.

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As the 2025 draft approached, rumors and mock drafts alike pointed to Membou as the likely pick with tight end Tyler Warren being the other guy most connected to the Jets and Kelvin Banks Jr. At No. 7, the Jets really had to play their cards close to the vest because there were six picks off the board before New York. This year, not as much.

The Jets have a chance to make a big move

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Michigan Wolverines running back Bryson Kuzdzal (24) during the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 pick and are widely expected to use it on Fernando Mendoza. If they don't, the Jets can take him at No. 2. If he does go No. 1, the Jets have plenty of options, starting with linebacker Arvell Reese. He's the No. 2-ranked prospect in the class, per ESPN's Field Yates, and has been linked to New York since Dante Moore went back to school. So much so that The Athletic's Zach Rosenblatt said he "feels" like the favorite.

"Path No. 1: Select LB/edge Arvell Reese," Rosenblatt wrote. "At this early juncture, Reese feels like the favorite. He’s a fascinating prospect who spent last season at Ohio State dropping into coverage and spying on the quarterback as an off-ball linebacker, while also working as an edge rusher and effectively getting after the quarterback. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner wrote this about Reese’s potential impact: 'The most talented defender and arguably the most talented football player in the class, period, Reese has the potential to be a total game wrecker on the edge. He also has enough versatility to move around the front seven. He’s a prospect with an elite-level ceiling.'

"The Jets lack playmakers on defense and will likely lose linebacker Quincy Williams in free agency. Jets coach Aaron Glenn values versatility on defense, and Reese would be a fun Swiss Army knife to deploy for whoever winds up getting the defensive coordinator job."

This is a guy who had 6 1/2 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 69 total tackles in 14 games for Ohio State in 2025. Reese is a true game-breaker and the chatter has been loud around him and the Jets already this offseason.

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