If all the mock drafts get it right and QB Fernando Mendoza goes to Las Vegas as the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh next week, there was question for a while whether the next three teams — the Jets, Arizona and Tennessee — would opt to strengthen their pass rush by selecting an elite edge player.

Most pundits believe the Jets selection at No. 2 will come down to Arvell Reese or David Bailey. Miami edge Ruben Bain is also one of the top pass-rushing prospects in this class. On April 12, Ollie Connolly posted on social media about a March 2024 crash in Miami when Bain was cited for careless driving. After the incident, a 22-year-old student was left in a coma and died three months later. Bain was reportedly cited for careless driving, but the charge was dismissed.

Each of those players would help the Green & White improve on the defense’s 26 sacks last season, and the discussion of which one would be a better fit has unfolded over the past few months. And if GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn have a preference, they’ve held it close to the vest.

Reid, however, doesn’t have that responsibility and flipped from Bain, Jr. to Reese in a recent mock draft. In the parlance of aviation — Wheels Up and Wheels Down — and Reese is ready for takeoff.

Arvell Reese: ‘That Jack-of-All-Trades Player’
“I mean, you talk about somebody at 6-5, 244, pounds, he was everything for that Ohio State defense this past season,” Reid said.

For the Buckeyes last season, Reese amassed 69 tackles (34 solo), 10 TFL, 6.5 sacks and 2 passes defended in his third and final season for Ohio State.

“You could put him at off-ball linebacker,” Reid said. “You could put him at edge rusher. He’s that jack-of-all-trades player that you can use on the second or even the first level as well. I really love how [DC] Matt Patricia used him this last season. He was able to utilize all those tools that he has. So for Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, I think they’re going to fall in love with the skill set of what he has presently, but also what he can be in the future.”