Episode 229 of Bengals On The Brain with Joe Goodberry, presented by First Star Logistics, dives deep into a potential draft target for the Cincinnati Bengals at Pick 10: Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.
Joe Goodberry continues the quest to identify a core group of 10 elite prospects the Bengals should be watching, especially as mock drafts begin to circulate featuring names other than the expected Ohio State standout, Caleb Downs.
Goodberry introduces Arvell Reese as a "very, very interesting" prospect who has been on a "roller coaster" ride since the college football season began. Early on, many had Reese tabbed as a "top three lock" and potentially the "best player in the draft" after watching his September tape. However, as the mock draft season kicks into gear, Reese's stock has "cooled," making him a realistic—and exciting—option for the Bengals at Pick 10.
Reese, a two-year starter, is listed at 6'4" and 240 lbs (though Joe suggests 245 lbs or 250 lbs would cement his draft position). Despite his perceived cooling, Joe still believes Reese is a top-three player in this class, noting that his production grades "super high" in the internal Bengals On The Brain spreadsheets. The core issue, and the reason for his potential availability at Pick 10, stems from how Ohio State utilized him.
Ohio State used Reese "very, very weirdly." He flashes as an explosive, quick, and "wiry" pass rusher—the type of athlete who should be an immediate top-three lock in the draft. However, as the season progressed, Reese was often deployed as a traditional, straight-up linebacker. This positional ambiguity creates the "Micah Parsons situation," which Joe draws a direct parallel to. Parsons, too, was an elite athletic prospect with an undefined role coming out of Penn State, and he ended up falling to the 10th pick, which coincidentally is where the Bengals sit. Joe is confident that the Bengals need to be "open" to Reese, viewing him as a game-changing, "centerpiece player" for the defense.
Joe concludes that Reese is a true "tweener" who will be drafted by an NFL team that identifies him as an edge rusher first, with his linebacker skills serving as an "added bonus" to his versatility. While his lack of consistent pass-rush reps is a risk (a "leap of faith prospect," similar to Amarius Mims), Joe argues that the physical traits—the length, strength, power, and explosiveness—are too strong to ignore.
For the Bengals at Pick 10, the opportunity to grab a player whom Joe rates as a top-five talent is too good to pass up. A team that drafts Reese will be acquiring a "centerpiece player" and should be prepared to develop their defense around his unique skill set.
Joe states unequivocally: If Arvell Reese is available at Pick 10, the Cincinnati Bengals should take him.
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