Arvell Reese Reportedly Drew Micah Parsons Comparison from NFL Scouts After 2026 Combine

Former Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese reportedly drew comparisons to Green Bay Packers star Micah Parsons with his performance at the 2026 NFL scouting combine.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman wrote Tuesday that combine NFL scouts compared Reese to Parsons "in terms of having the ability to be an elite edge player and off-ball linebacker."

According to Feldman, coaches like Reese's "range, explosiveness and violent knockback."

"His ability to bend and seamlessly change direction is special, too," Feldman wrote, adding that some Big Ten coaches who had watched Reese's tape from the 2025 season "thought he caused more problems than Caleb Downs."

Reese weighed in at 6'4'' and 241 pounds before running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash with a 1.58-second 10-yard split last Thursday in Indianapolis.

The scouts who spoke with Feldman aren't the first to compare Reese to Parsons. Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who worked with Parsons during his time with the Dallas Cowboys, compared the two players during the combine last week.

"Micah didn't have a lot of [edge] pass rushes but you knew if we could get him on a back, it was lights out," Quinn said during the combine, per ESPN's John Keim. "What we'll find from [Reese] is that he's going to be one hell of a blitzer because of the physicality, the toughness, the quickness."

Reese is ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect and No. 1 linebacker available in the upcoming draft on Bleacher Report's latest 2026 big board.

He racked up 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks for Ohio State last season while helping the Buckeyes hold opponents to an FBS-low 9.29 points per game.

The latest B/R mock draft projects him going to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 3 pick, four selections before Quinn and the Commanders get on the board at No. 7 and seven before the Cincinnati Bengals are projected to draft Downs at No. 10.

B/R scout Matt Holder wrote about Arizona's projected pick: "The Cardinals will have to figure out where they want to play Reese, but the 'good' news is they need help at both edge and off-ball linebacker... New head coach Mike LaFleur might be tempted to address the offensive line, but the value here lies with the hybrid defender."

How much Reese was able to convince scouts of his similarities to Parsons at the combine could have an impact on whether he ultimately ends up as a top three pick when the NFL draft kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh.