Arvell Reese Reveals Preferred Position at NFL Combine, Where Does OSU Star Rank on B/R Big Board?

Ohio State star Arvell Reese has put the questions about his position designation in the NFL to rest.

Per ESPN's Mike Reiss, Reese declared during the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis that he views himself as an outside linebacker/edge rusher in the NFL rather than an off-the-ball linebacker, which was the position he played the most during his tenure with the Buckeyes. B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked him as the No. 6 overall player in this year's draft class in its latest big board.

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

Reese's position at the professional level has been one of the biggest questions leading up to the NFL draft, as the potential top-five pick is expected to make an immediate impact when he makes it to the NFL. In his scouting report of Reese, B/R's Matt Holder described him as "the most physically impressive linebacker in the 2026 draft class."

However, Reese is coming off a 2025 season in which he totaled 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks, the latter of which is a pedestrian number for an edge rusher. Comparatively, Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr., who is ranked second in B/R's draft big board, racked up 54 tackles and 9.5 sacks for the Hurricanes.

Still, Reese's versatility could make him a more attractive prospect than the rest of the edge rushers in this year's class. Per Reiss, he said he plans to run the 40-yard dash at the combine and will also take part in outside linebacker/edge and off-the-ball linebacker drills.

The 20-year-old said he's already met with several teams at the combine so far, including the New York Jets (No. 2 pick), Arizona Cardinals (No. 3) and Cleveland Browns (No. 6). He added that he went through mental drills with Jets coaches after they installed a defensive package to see how he would respond.

Reese, who described his pass-rush approach as a mix of "speed and power," acknowledged that he will need to add some weight to handle the physicality of being an edge rusher in the NFL, but he made it clear that he showed enough to prove that he can excel at the position.