Arvell Reese
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Arvell Reese could be a great fit for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Arizona Cardinals own the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, sitting in a prime position to land an elite playmaker.
Recent rumors have included everything from taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to trading down, but one intriguing option just revealed another wrinkle.
The Cardinals recently hosted Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese on a Top-30 visit, and there’s a very real chance that Arizona could scoop him up at No. 3 should the New York Jets pass on the Buckeye star. He’s an off-ball, edge rusher hybrid, making him an appealing player with a high ceiling and some versatility, but Reese also just made a stunning concession earlier this week about his time at OSU.
Speaking with ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, Reese revealed that henever spent time at Ohio State working on pass rushing, and made things up as he went along.
“I didn’t even have a name for what I just did,”said Reeseabout one of his best pass rush reps. “Literally, even when I did this, I didn’t even have a name for what I just did. But now that I’m working on pass rushing right now, and studying and everything, I’m realizing right here, I show power, which made him shoot his hands, and that’s when I threw the cross-chop.”
“This is just kind of like, out of the blue. Never really did this, well, I did a couple times in practice, but never really perfected this move to just go out and do it.”
The Arizona Cardinals May Have a Big Decision to Make on Arvell Reese
Reesehad 6.5 sacks last season with the Buckeyes on limited pass rushing snaps, so his admission makes those numbers even more impressive. At the professional level, he may end up making the transition to playing edge full-time. Still, for a team like the Cardinals who need immediate edge help, it may complicate things.
The Cardinals have taken several other hybrid players high in the draft in recent years to uneven levels of success. Isaiah Simmons was taken with the eighth overall pick in 2020, but hasn’t panned out, and is already on his third NFL team. Zaven Collins, taken with the No. 16 pick in the 2021 draft, is another player still trying to find his best position. So could Arizona take yet another tweener project player at No. 3?
Reese is just 20 years old, and brings plenty of upside. If he falls to the Cardinals’ pick, Arizona will have a big decision on their hands.
What Other Routes Could the Cardinals Take in the NFL Draft?
Meanwhile, the Cardinals have also beenheavily linked to Love, the star running back out of Notre Dame. Often regarded as the best overall player in the draft, Love would immediately boost the Arizona already crowded Arizona backfield.
NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay has said that someone in the Cardinals building is very fond of bringing Love in.
“No. 3–Cardinals,”said McShay on his podcast. “One source is saying ‘I know [Adam] Schefter said that the clock starts on Jeremiah Love at number five’…but there’s someone in that [Cardinals] building that is pushing really really hard for Jeremiah Love that has a say.”