Picking No. 2 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Jets will have their pick of the majority of the rookies in the upcoming class.
And with Fernando Mendoza all but locked into the Las Vegas Raiders pick at No. 1 overall, the Jets have known for a while who their options will be. While they could go offense, defense is the clear best option.
ESPN's Matt Bowen identified the ideal draft pick for the Jets with that second-overall pick. It's an Ohio State linebacker with blazing speed, but it's not Sonny Styles. Instead, versatile LB/Edge Arvell Resse would be the ideal pick for the Jets.
Jets' ideal draft pick would be Ohio State's Reese
"... But I like Reese because of the positional versatility he would bring to coach Aaron Glenn's defense," Bowen writes. "With the Jets, Reese should be viewed as a playmaker who could boost the second-worst scoring defense from 2025 (29.6 points per game)."
The Jets could decide to take a chance on someone that's a true edge defender, like David Bailey out of Texas Tech or Ruben Bain Jr. out of Miami. But the upside case with Reese is too much to pass on.
Without a quarterback worth taking No. 2 overall, and the defense in dire need of upside, someone like Reese, who can play both off-ball linebacker and also get some run as a pass rusher, would be an ideal draft pick.
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At the NFL Combine, he ran a ridiculous 4.46 for someone his size at 6-foot-4, 241 pounds. He's not just athletic, he's productive as well.
He had 6.5 sacks last season for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was consistently a great tackler all season, thanks in part to his great athleticism.
Reese would be a great pick for the Jets, and it's a huge part of the reason why so many mock drafts have the Jets taking the versatile Ohio State linebacker/edge defender at No. 2 overall.
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