COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football might have a defender other than safety Caleb Downs taken toward the top of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Linebacker Arvell Reese is the top player in the class, according to Dane Brugler — a draft analyst for The Athletic who will release his list of top 50 prospects next week.
“I’m just going to spoil it,” Brugler said on The Athletic Football Show. “Reese is going to be No. 1. He is the best player that I’ve scouted this year, plain and simple.
“It would be very disingenuous for me to put anyone else at No. 1 besides Arvell Reese because the tape is that good and every week I kind of rave about him… I would be lying if I put anybody else at No. 1.”
Reese has been a breakout star for the Buckeyes as a junior after serving as a backup behind linebacker Cody Simon last season.
He’s started every game for Ohio State, collecting a team-high 54 tackles to go along with 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. His sack rate relative to pass rush snaps played (71) is just below 10%.
Being the top player on a big board doesn’t mean a prospect will be selected first overall, with positional value factoring into a team’s decision. However, it wouldn’t be shocking for a player at Reese’s position to be the first name taken.
Reese is a linebacker, but his pass-rush ability makes him valuable. It’s how Travon Walker (Jaguars, 2022), Myles Garrett (Browns, 2017) and Jadeveon Clowney (Texas, 2014), among others, became No. 1 picks.
Reese is a product of Glenville High School in Cleveland. He was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, who only started five games for OSU prior to this season.
ESPN’s latest big board has three Buckeyes projected as first round picks: Downs (No. 3), Reese (No. 5) and receiver Carnell Tate (No. 16).
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