Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) gets into position during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jets Have NFL Draft 'Dilemma,' Claims Mel Kiper Jr.

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 7:00 PM ET

The New York Jets have a big decision to make with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming 2026 National Football League Draft.

The two guys who have been talked about the most as potential prospects have been Arvell Reese of Ohio State and David Bailey of Texas Tech. Both pass rushers, but with different skillsets. Reese is a hybrid linebacker who has drawn comparisons to Micah Parsons. With Reese, you're getting a guy who gets after the quarterback, but also can be moved around the defense. With Bailey, you'd be getting a pass rusher through and through who gets after the quarterback. Bailey is a high-sack guy with massive potential. If you want to bring someone in to simply get the quarterback, Bailey is the guy.

Both are very talented. So much so that ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said that the Jets have a "dilemma" on their hands.

The Jets have a decision to make

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"With the decisions that they've made and the moves that they've made, obviously Caleb Downs, who I thought could be in the mix, you go away the safety spot," Kiper said of the Jets. "This is not easy. This is kind of a dilemma that they internally, they have to figure out. Is it Arvell Reese or is it David Bailey? Who is going to be the edge rusher coming into the NFL early in in their career? Obviously, think about that division right now, you have to get after Josh Allen, you have to track him down and get him down to the ground. You've got to deal with Drake Maye."

That'ts not all all. Kiper threw Sonny Styles' name out there as well as someone to watch.

"I will say this, there is another name that comes into this mix," Kiper said. "His name is Sonny Styles. Sonny Styles' name, when mentioned, some people think that he's better than Arvell Reese coming into this draft. We'll see where we have Sonny Styles coming off the board. But I'll just throw him in. Not just from the combine, but from the kind of year that he had. He had 13 more tackles than Arvell Reese. He was all over the field making plays. You can use him in so many different ways in today's game. Sonny Styles is going to come up big when we talk about where he could go. He's going to be in the discussion at least, for teams that don't take him, but thought very long and hard about doing just that."

The Jets have a very good "dilemma" on their hands. Any of these three would take the defense to another level on a rookie deal. Arguably, Reese should be the guy, though.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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