The College Football Playoff has changed the dynamic of NFL Draft evaluation. Sometimes, that even means top prospects at the same position can face each other. Wednesday’s Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will pit arguably the top two EDGE rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft against each other. #2 Ohio State’s Arvell Reese squares off with #10 Miami (FL)’s Reuben Bain Jr.
Arvell Reese Scouting Summary: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Quick Comps
Reese is one of 2026’s fastest-rising prospects. On the edge of many “way too early” mock drafts, Reese has been a huge part of a Buckeyes defense that is third in sack rate (9.54%) and third in rushing yards per attempt allowed (2.8) across all of FBS this season.
Listed at 6’4″, 243 pounds, Reese’s listing might undersell his height. For someone who frequently lines up as an off-ball linebacker, it’s one of the most noteworthy attributes on tape.
With EDGE size comes closing speed, instincts, and gap integrity of a linebacker. He also has a great lower-body wrap on open-field tackles. Reese’s projected 40 time (4.52) would be brisk, but he could dip into the high 4.4s.
Regularly, you see Reese get under the pads and lift offensive linemen with 75-to-100 pounds on him like a practice sled in order to disrupt the backfield. It’s jarring and unnatural. Keep an eye on his bench press figure at the combine.
Due to his role, the glaring weakness in Reese now is his bend and pad level. He’s very upright on outside rushes and tends to just win with power anyway. At the next level, proper technique will be significantly more important to disrupt the game in the same manner.
Reese’s archetype is one we’ve seen increase year over year in the NFL: a “joker” linebacker that can play off the ball or put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer. That description would apply loosely to a Micah Parsons, Jamie Collins, or Jalon Walker from last year’s draft.
However, none of those three eclipsed a 6’3″ listing, and Reese might be closer to 6’5″, giving him the possibility of being a high-impact EDGE at the next level that also has the size, speed, and athleticism to cover larger tight ends in space at outside linebacker.
Reuben Bain Jr. Scouting Summary: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Quick Comps
It’s always rewarding to see a top-10 “way too early” projection pan out in a top prospect, and Bain definitely has.
After generating that buzz for a Miami team that struggled defensively in 2024, the Canes’ rise in 2025 has started with defense, and Bain’s 7.5 sacks have led the way. He also had an interception against Notre Dame and a blocked field goal in the first round of the CFP against Texas A&M, rising to the occasion when the team needed him most.
Bain sets the edge in the Hurricanes’ traditional front, making his profile and outlook a little more seamless than Reese’s. He’s a traditional defensive end with great strength, and he doesn’t feel “small” despite a 6’3″ listing.
“Technical power” is how many describe how the sensational junior wins. He has an exceptional first step, a pair of powerful hands that can ragdoll even quality offensive tackles, and he uses his lack of height to his advantage with excellent bend. This all comes with really savvy football intelligence and a knack for creating the right leverage to shed blocks based on the direction the play is flowing.
If there is a downside to Bain’s game, it’s that he often looks for the home run — a sack or TFL — and can lose focus on containing within the structure of the defense. Bain also played just nine games in 2024 due to a calf injury, which is a little bit more of a medical red flag than you’d hope for from someone who’ll garner a projected top-five pick.
Where Reese and Bain Are Similar
Frankly, two EDGE prospects don’t get much different.
Still, there is one commonality between the two. They win with true heavyweight knockout power.
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Reese’s ability to forklift defenders into the air is a bit more vertical than Bain’s, who usually dispenses blocks laterally. They still have a tendency to toss quality opposition around and disrupt the backfield.
Versatility is also a trait they share. Bain has the size and power to not be totally out of place as a 1-technique in a “NASCAR” style rush package in obvious passing situations. Some analysts prefer him at a 3-technique or 5-technique, but the sort of malleability that someone who presents a consistent rush outside offers speaks to his strength and power.
Reese’s versatility is obvious, too. He’s got the pursuit, instincts, and tackling ability to play inside linebacker in an emergency, and he could absolutely run step-for-step with most average tight ends in coverage. Defensive coordinators have to be foaming at the mouth to potentially drop someone like Reese in coverage by surprise and still have someone who can hold up in the middle of the field.
Height is also a concern for both — albeit in opposite ways. Bain is shorter than a prototypical EDGE, and Reese’s frame is taller than is typically ideal for someone with responsibility in space.
Where Reese and Bain Are Different
These are really great prototypes for why even evolving this draft category to “EDGE” hasn’t fully encompassed just how different the position can be.
Bain profiles as a high-end defensive end in a 4-3 system at the next level. You ask him to put his hand in the dirt, set the edge, disrupt the pocket, and contain the run.
His technical ability makes him a significantly higher-floor player than Reese because that role is so easily defined. Think of Brandon Graham, Tamba Hali, and Cam Jordan. Those guys just consume that side of the defensive line and wreck the game despite being “undersized”, and Bain shares their innate ability to control half of the field.
Reese is entirely different. He plays extremely upright with elite speed compared to Bain’s probable 40-yard dash in the 4.7s. Some close comparisons are LaVar Arrington or Derrick Thomas, as all-purpose game wreckers who weighed in the 250s. Those guys didn’t have the Reese’s movement because it wasn’t needed in a prior era of the NFL. He seems to be the evolution of that archetype into the modern game.
If drafted to the same defensive system, Bain and Reese would have entirely different responsibilities.
