.jpg?w=1280 "NFL Combine Football")
With Arvell Reese Trending as No. 2 Pick, Which Defender Will be Next in 2026 NFL Draft?
The 2026 NFL draft may not be filled with early surprises.
It will be a shock if the Las Vegas Raiders select anyone other than Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese is being heavily linked to the New York Jets at No. 2.
"General manager Darren Mougey said they haven't identified that player yet," ESPN's Rich Cimini recently wrote. "After listening to [head coach Aaron] Glenn, then gathering a few crumbs at the NFL spring meetings in Phoenix, it feels like Ohio State's Arvell Reese is the best fit."
Alabama's Ty Simpson is expected to be the second quarterback off the board after Mendoza—and a possible first-round pick.
Who will be the second defender off the board? That's a bit more of a mystery, and the answer may depend on where other top prospects such as Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa get taken.
Here, we'll examine Reese's case to be the first defender off the board, the top candidates to follow him, and logical landing spots for each.
Arvell Reese is a Logical Pick for the Jets
1 of 6.jpg?w=684 "Rutgers Ohio St Football")
The New York Jets need help at multiple positions.
Like the Raiders, they need a quarterback. However, Simpson didn't show enough in his 15 collegiate starts to justify a selection at No. 2 overall. Love could make some sense for New York, but with Breece Hall on the franchise tag, running back isn't a top priority.
The Jets also need defensive help, especially after trading away Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at last year's trade deadline. Reese only showed glimpses of his pass-rushing potential at Ohio State (112 tackles, 7 sacks), but he's a high-upside prospect in the mold of Green Bay Packers star Micah Parsons.
Like Parsons before him, Reese was a bit of a 'tweener in college who may be more disruptive as a pass-rusher in the pros. At worst, he should be a highly productive outside linebacker.
"Reese is the most physically impressive linebacker in the 2026 draft class," Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote. "Whether he falls into a hybrid role or converts to being a full-time edge defender, the former Buckeye has a bright future as an impact defender in the NFL."
The 20-year-old proved himself against top competition with the Buckeyes, and his athletic traits are alluring. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 6'4" and 241 pounds at the scouting combine.
In short, Reese is a high-ceiling, high-floor prospect who has All-Pro potential and a low risk of busting. That's why most now expect him to be the first non-QB off the board.
Reese went second overall in the recent mock drafts of the B/R Scouting Department, CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, and ESPN's panel of Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates.
"I have the Jets opting for the upside of Reese over the proven production of Texas Tech's David Bailey," Miller wrote. "Reese has double-digit sack potential in the NFL and can be a versatile player for coach Aaron Glenn."
Of course, Bailey might be in the conversation at No. 2, and if he isn't taken there, he may go shortly after.
David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
2 of 6.jpg?w=684 "Big 12 Championship Football")
To be clear, the opinion that Reese will go second overall to the Jets isn't universal.
ESPN's Peter Schrager recently released his first mock of the season, and he believes New York will opt for Bailey instead:
"This will likely be either Bailey or Ohio State's Arvell Reese—New York was 31st in sacks last season with 26—but I have to think Bailey is the guy for the Jets. He is a polished pass rusher with proven production, tying for the FBS lead in sacks (14.5) in 2025. He can be a Day 1 disrupter off the edge."
It does feel like New York will opt for an edge-rusher after trading away Jermaine Johnson II. Bailey has the tools and traits needed to be a very good one in the NFL.
"David Bailey is an impressive athlete, who has a deep bag of pass-rush moves to be a significant contributor on third downs in the NFL," Holder wrote.
The 22-year-old ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at 6'4" and 250 pounds in Indianapolis. Bailey, a former Stanford transfer, racked up 14.5 sacks (tied for the FBS lead) and 19.5 tackles for loss this past season.
Few expect Bailey to last long if he isn't scooped up at No. 2. He went fourth overall to the Tennessee Titans in the ESPN collaborative mock and in Prisco's mock. He went third to the Arizona Cardinals in the B/R Scouting Department's mock.
Arizona and Tennessee are logical landing spots for Bailey, though they would have to pass on prospects like Love and Mauigoa to take them—Love is a popular mock selection for the Titans, and ESPN's collaborative mock sent Mauigoa to the Cardinals.
Bailey would also be a strong choice for the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints.
Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
3 of 6.jpg?w=684 "CFP Fiesta Bowl Football")
Edge-rushers always fetch a premium in the NFL, and it won't be a major shock if we see three off the board before any other defenders are taken. If Bailey isn't the second, it might be Miami's Rueben Bain Jr.
The 21-year-old is the top-ranked pure edge-rusher on the B/R Scouting Department's latest big board. He possesses a 6'2", 263-pound frame and recorded 9.5 sacks in 2025 while helping Miami reach the College Football Playoff title game.
The one potential concern with Bain is that his arm length (30⅞") is less than ideal for an edge-rusher.
As Daire Carragher of Pro Football Focus noted, the track record of short-armed defenders isn't encouraging:
"The only other sub-31-inch edge defenders to even see 500 career pass-rush snaps in the PFF era are Genard Avery and Matt Longacre. If Bain were to move inside, he'd be compared to a similarly unremarkable group headlined by players like Dean Lowry and Calijah Kancey."
Still, Bain's arm length didn't stop him from being a game-wrecker at Miami, and it's easy to love what he put on film.
"[Bain] has the skill set to be the top player at his position and a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL draft," Holder wrote.
Prisco mocked Bain to the Cardinals at No. 3, while both Schrager and the B/R Scouting Department paired him with the New Orleans Saints at No. 8. His draft floor likely lies with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 12, which is where he went in ESPN's collaborative mock.
Between Arizona and Dallas, the Titans, Commanders, Saints, Bengals and Dolphins are all teams that could jump on an edge-rusher like Bain.
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
4 of 6.jpg?w=684 "NFL Combine Football")
Off-ball linebackers rarely go in the early first round, but Ohio State's Sonny Styles could be the rare exception.
The 21-year-old was highly productive in college and showed elite athletic traits in Indianapolis.
This past season, he tallied 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception with the Buckeyes. He recorded 100 tackles and six sacks the previous season. At the combine, he ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 6'5" and 244 pounds. He also logged a 43.5-inch vertical jump and a 134-inch broad jump.
With top-tier athleticism and tremendous coverage skills, Styles should be a true every-down linebacker and a defensive centerpiece early in his career.
"Movement skills, fluid hips and speed allow him to cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage or carry wide receivers on vertical routes when playing Tampa 2," Holder wrote. "Impressive speed to close on ball carriers, either when clicking and closing in coverage or when it comes to his sideline-to-sideline range against the run."
According to SportsBoom's Jason La Canfora, the Cardinals "love" Styles as well, so there's at least a slim chance he'll go as high as No. 3.
However, the Cardinals and Titans may have to both take offensive players—likely some combination of Love and Mauigoa or Georgia lineman Monroe Freeling—for Styles to be the second defender off the board. That would potentially put the Giants on the clock for the second defender at No. 2.
New York already has a trio of talented edge-defenders in Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Abdul Carter. Passing on a pass-rusher to take Styles would make sense if the Giants don't trade the selection or go with an offensive player.
"Harbaugh loves having a playmaking middle linebacker on his defense," Prisco wrote. "Styles is that and more. As a converted safety, he can really run."
Styles would also be a logical target for the Commanders, Saints, Bengals, and Cowboys.
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
5 of 6.jpg?w=684 "Ohio St Football")
All the predraft buzz seems to point to front-seven players being the first and second defenders off the board. However, there's no guarantee we won't see one of the top two be a defensive back.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is the most likely long shot to be the second defender drafted. The top-ranked prospect at any position on the B/R Scouting Department's big board, he has the size (6'0", 206 lbs) and skills needed to fill virtually any role in an NFL secondary.
"Downs is the single best prospect for the 2026 draft cycle," Daniel Harms of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "With his experience in Matt Patricia's defense, he's going to hit the ground running for whatever NFL team drafts him."
In three collegiate seasons, one at Alabama and two at Ohio State, Downs recorded 257 combined tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and six interceptions. He has a real chance to be the first safety drafted in the top five since Eric Berry in 2010.
Should the Cardinals and Titans both opt for offensive players, Downs would be a viable candidate to be the second defender drafted, as he's another logical target for the Giants.
The B/R Scouting Department sent Downs to New York in its mock draft.
"A lot of differing opinions exist regarding Downs," Harms said, "but John Harbaugh knows what this kind of prospect can do for a defense. He's spent the last few years watching Kyle Hamilton be a unique chess piece for the Ravens.
Downs didn't make it past the Cowboys at No. 12 in any of the aforementioned mock drafts. He would also be a sensible target for the Commanders, Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Verdict: Expect Bailey to be 2nd Defender Drafted
6 of 6.jpg?w=684 "NFL Combine Football")
It won't be a total surprise if Styles or Downs goes just behind Reese. However, the value of edge-defenders makes it more likely we see two pass-rushers kick off the defensive portion of the draft.
Given the questions surrounding Bain and his arm length, Bailey should be viewed as the "safe" choice to be defender No. 2.
Bailey may go to the Cardinals, as he did in the B/R Scouting Department's mock, or he may land with the Titans, as he did in Prisco's mock.
"They have three really good players up front, so why not add another speed rusher? Bailey isn't great against the run, but he has the explosive ability off the edge," Prisco wrote.
We may also see a team trade into the top five for arguably the best pure pass-rusher in the draft. The Commanders and Saints could be strong contenders to do so. The Bengals should be open to moving up for defensive help, though they haven't traded up in the first round since 1995.
Plenty can change over the next two weeks, but right now Bailey should be considered the favorite to be the second defender off the board, if he doesn't end up being the first.
.jpg?w=480 "49ers Eagles Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Browns Football")
