Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese has repeatedly been compared to Green Bay Packers All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons in the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, Reese told Newsweek that he heard the Parsons comparisons.
” I’m gonna be honest: It doesn’t really mean nothing to me,” Reese said. “It’s cool that they compare me to him because he is a great player, but it’s just comparisons and projections.”
On Thursday, Parsons revealed where he ranks Reese among his top-10 draft prospects.
B/R Gridiron released Parsons’ top-10 list, and it reads as follows:
- Caleb Downs, safety, Ohio State
- David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech
- Jeremiyah Love, running back, Notre Dame
- Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver, Arizona State
- Carnell Tate, wide receiver, Ohio State
- Mansoor Delane, cornerback, LSU
- Olaivavega Ioane, offensive lineman, Penn State
- Sonny Styles, linebacker, Ohio State
- Arvell Reese, linebacker, Ohio State
- Fernando Mendoza, quarterback, Indiana
Legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban agrees with Parsons’ evaluation of Downs as the best player in this draft class.
“Caleb Downs made more plays in college than anybody in the draft,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.
Downs played under Saban as a freshman in 2023, and Saban believes Downs “would have been the first safety taken in the draft” after that season. Downs only bolstered his case with two All-American seasons at Ohio State, winning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Meanwhile, Mendoza may be last on this list, but quarterback is king in the NFL, so the Las Vegas Raiders will draft the reigning Heisman winner at No. 1 overall on Thursday night.