Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals own the third overall pick in this April’s NFL draft. A plethora of blue-chip players will be waiting to hear their name called with that selection.
The Cardinals have many holes, and this pick will solve only one of them. Should this be an offensive player or another defensive guy? Last year, GM Monti Ossenfort took six of seven draft picks and used them on the defense.
RELATED: DID DOLPHINS FIRE THE CARDINALS NEXT HEAD COACH?
Needs this year include a young quarterback, two offensive guards, one offensive tackle, a backup center, and a linebacker to start with. Other positions need quality depth, but as far as new starters, these positions are at the top of the list.
The top two quarterbacks, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore from Oregon, could very well go 1-2. The Las Vegas Raiders are followed by the New York Jets, and while both clubs have veteran signalcallers, they are also in the market for a young stud at quarterback. So, when it is Arizona’s time on the clock, another positional player might have to be taken instead.
It just so happens that an exceptional player just declared for the NFL draft: Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese (6’-4”, 243 pounds).
Reese is a junior and has now been placed on most draft sites as the #1 defensive player in this draft class, switching it up with Miami DE Rueben Bain, Jr.
He won a state championship while at Glenville High School in Cleveland and was voted Division IV Defensive Player of the Year by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. Named First-team All-Ohio by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association and selected to play in the Army All-American Bowl.
He graduated as a four-star recruit and had offers from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Iowa State, Louisville, USC, Alabama, Ball State, Akron, Cincinnati, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio, Syracuse, Charlotte, West Virginia, Kent State, Connecticut, and Bowling Green.
If both quarterbacks are off the board or if Ossenfort doesn’t wish to select either, he should consider Reese as a viable option.
Reese split his time between pure linebacker and EDGE rusher with off-ball work. He has versatility with an elite physical profile and exceptional length. Runs a 4.52 in the 40 with an explosive closing burst. Violent hands and a quick first step. He covers ground sideline-to-sideline and offers impressive lateral agility.
This past season, Reese had 69 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two pass defenses, and started 14 games. He was named Consensus All-American, First Team All-Big 10, and was voted the Big-10 Linebacker of the Year. He was also part of last year’s National Championship team at Ohio State.
Reese has been very durable. His only injury was in his freshman campaign when he suffered a concussion. He is also very intelligent. In 2023 and 2024, he was named an OSU Scholar-Athlete, majoring in Human Development and Family Science.
His Twitter...
