Not many expected Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese to enter the 2026 NFL draft, and yet he did it. OSU’s #8 just had his 2025 breakthrough season, and after a solid NFL Combine performance, Reese’s draft stock soared exponentially. Now, after Mel Kiper Jr. predicted him to go 3th overall, the verdicts regarding his prowess keep rolling in. And now, yet another renowned analyst has locked up his opinion on Reese, and it might be the biggest one yet.

Joel Klatt, in a March 18 interview, talked about why Arvell Reese could become even better than the current Green Bay Packers’ star Micah Parsons.

“I know this is gonna get me in trouble. He (Arvell Reese) is a longer, more physical Micah Parsons, and he’s just scratching the surface,” Joel Klatt said. “So he can do all the things from a versatility standpoint that Micah can do. And yet he’s just scratching the surface; he’s bigger than Micah, and he’s longer than Micah.”

Just like Arvell Reese, Micah Parsons started two years of college ball at Penn State as a linebacker. In that period, the 6’3″ and 245 lbs player notched 191 tackles, 99 of which were solo, and he accumulated 6.5 sacks. The performances, along with an impressive 86 total score at the 2021 Combine, led him to become the 12th overall pick in that year’s NFL draft. But what became clear throughout the process was that Micah would no longer play as a linebacker.

Joining the Cowboys, Micah switched to an edge rusher role and sometimes lined up at the outside linebacker role. Unlike Reese, though, Parsons had extensive pass-rushing experience at Penn State. Despite playing as an off-ball linebacker, Micah frequently blitzed, rushed the passer, and notched 14 tackles for loss in 2019. In the 2021 draft class, Micah led the linebackers with a 24% career pass rush win rate and had standout moments in big games.

Just like Micah Parsons, Arvell Reese wants to switch to an edge rusher role in the NFL.

“Teams have pretty much been asking me what I want to do and see where my mind was at. I’ve been telling them I think I’m an outside linebacker/edge,” Reese told the media at the Scouting Combine.

Despite that, Reese acknowledged his inexperience and radiated confidence to fit into the new role. “I haven’t even scratched the surface with really what I can do pass-rushing,” Reese said.

Reese is a two-year starter at OSU and has 112 tackles to his name, along with 7 sacks, similar to what Micah Parsons had. Moreover, his 6’4″ and 243 lb frame is a lot like the former Penn State linebacker’s too. But Reese has true potential for versatility.

He can line up off the ball, threaten A gaps, rush off the edge, and even show explosiveness in blitzes when required. Not to mention, Reese’s long arms and sideline-to-sideline speed make him fit for the new role, too. As for his inexperience as an edge rusher, it’s actually an upside.

Joel Klatt predicts Arvell Reese’s inexperience will work in his favor

Arvell Reese lit up this year’s NFL combine with dominant performances. He ran the 40 in just 4.46 seconds, did the 10-yard split in 1.58 seconds, and notched an impressive total score of 84. His arm length is 32.5 inches, and his hand length is 9.5 inches, enabling him to keep blockers out of his pads. Of course, there are weaknesses, too, from coverage problems to short-area quickness to a weak pass rush plan. But Reese will rise above them quickly in the NFL.

“For quarterbacks, inexperience is a huge red flag because you’ve got to have it to succeed. These other positions are like what Arvell is playing; inexperience is actually a green flag. Because you’re like, whoa, whoa, so much more upside,” Joel Klatt said. “For him, his next step in maturation is becoming like a great first-step pass rusher, and I think that he can do that because he’s incredibly explosive. But Arvell is the type of guy who can have a Micah Parsons impact.”

Micah Parsons has already established himself as a dominant force in the NFL. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and made the first team All-Pro thrice. Moreover, Parsons already has 297 tackles along with 65 sacks in the NFL and is on a $186 million contract. So, if Arvell Reese surpasses Micah as Joel Klatt predicted, we are looking at a future all-time great.