{"id":278110,"date":"2026-04-22T15:56:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=278110"},"modified":"2026-04-22T15:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:55:09","slug":"is-arvell-reese-the-next-micah-parsons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/04\/22\/is-arvell-reese-the-next-micah-parsons\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Arvell Reese the Next Micah Parsons?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the 2026 NFL Draft,\u00a0 it is not the offense that is expected to dominate. But the group of players that are expected to hear their name called is versatile. The 2026 class features numerous Ohio State players, something that has been rarely seen.\u00a0 Safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles are just a few names mentioned in the class. But one player that everyone is talking about is Arvell Reese.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Arvell Reese the Next Micah Parsons?<\/h2>\n

The hybrid defensive standout has drawn many comparisons to Pro Bowl player Micah Parsons. However, is he the next Parsons? What are the similarities between the two?<\/span><\/p>\n

Arvell Reese’s Similarities to Micah Parsons<\/h2>\n

Hybrid Usage and Versatility<\/h3>\n

Just like the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, Reese divides his snaps between linebacker and edge rusher. Reese uses his speed to flow sideline-to-sideline. This can be used to help stop the inside and outside run.<\/span><\/p>\n

His bull rush against offensive tackles makes him a nightmare to stop. His explosive first step is lethal for many of his opponents. Attacking the inside of the line puts stress on blockers. He typically uses his raw power to run over center and guards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical Traits<\/h3>\n

Both Arvell Reese and Parsons have strong athleticism for their size. Reese clocked a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at 241 pounds. This was strangely similar to Parsons\u2019 4.39 at 246 pounds. This allows for both players to chase down running backs from the backside and close the pocket at an alarming rate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some NFL scouts believe that Reese has a higher physical ceiling than Parsons because of his 6 \u20184 height. The huge wingspan he has gives him a better length to break away from key blocks on the line of scrimmage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Downhill Style of Play<\/h3>\n

Both players thrive when they can play aggressive football up front. Reese has been known to be a strong enforcer who loves to tackle. His ability to shed blockers and take them out of the play is what made Parsons a huge prospect.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there are some contrasts between the two players. Parsons was known to be a pure linebacker in college. Reese is still trying to work on hand-fighting techniques and coverage down the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowledge and Mental Sharpness<\/h3>\n

Playing under Matt Patricia\u2019s defensive system at Ohio State has boosted Reese’s development. His knowledge of the game is improving already at a fast pace. He is going to need that to learn and run advanced NFL blitz schemes. This potentially could make his transition faster than Parsons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether he is lining up over the middle or rushing the passer, he has the Parsons prototype label, which proves his potential to be one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everyone is talking about is Arvell Reese. The hybrid defensive standout has drawn many comparisons to Pro Bowl player Micah Parsons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5783,"featured_media":268015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647],"tags":[33533,33842,6993],"class_list":["post-278110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-arvell-reese","tag-micah-parsons"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5783"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278110"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":278199,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278110\/revisions\/278199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}