Jets predicted by AFC South scout to draft 6-foot-4 edge with No. 2 pick

Jets predicted by AFC South scout to draft 6-foot-4 edge with No. 2 pick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With under a week to go before the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Jets' options with the second overall pick have narrowed down.

Seemingly, only Ohio State's Arvell Reese or Texas Tech's David Bailey are up for debate with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. The question is which player the Jets go with.

ESPN's Matt Miller shared a prediction from an AFC South scout for the Jets' pick at No. 2 overall, which has the Jets going with the 6-foot-4, 6.5 sack edge rusher in Reese with their first-round pick.

Jets predicted by AFC South scout to draft Arvell Reese

"I'm going Reese," this AFC scout said. "In the 3-4 defense the Jets are employing, Reese's first-step quickness and ability to live in space make him the better prospect."

While Bailey, coming off a 14.5 sack season, who's also more of a prototypical edge rusher prospect, might be the safer bet, the high upside of Reese is very appealing.

Reese has been an off-ball linebacker for much of his college career, and he's looking to make the full-time switch to the edge in the NFL.

More: Jets' ideal pick at No. 2 overall is Arvell Reese out of Ohio State

It's a bit of a risk, but for Reese, the super-athlete who ran a sub-4.50-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and put up a respectable 6.5 sacks last season, the upside is immense.

Since the Jets are not ready to contend just yet, taking someone like Reese, who's more of a project in the short term, makes sense. They would, in theory, have time to develop Reese into a full-time edge rusher.