NFL Draft: Who's the best player for Jets between Arvell Reese, David Bailey and Sonny Styles?

The hope when you’re picking as high as the Jets are in next week’s NFL Draft is that you get an impactful player, a game-changer if not a franchise-changer.

Things didn’t work out in 2021 for the Jets when they drafted Zach Wilson second overall. That was the old regime. It will be general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn’s call on who the Jets take with the No. 2 pick this time. Glenn, especially, can’t afford to miss on it.

The Jets likely are deciding between Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. They could also decide to trade down to acquire more assets. If they do, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles could be the pick.

Here is a breakdown of the three players:

1. Arvell Reese

A 6-4, 241-pound freakish athlete, Reese ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. It tied Styles for the fastest among linebackers.

Reese is explosive, only 20 years old and still growing as a pass rusher. The Jets would have to bank his upside and potential to develop into a stud defensive player.

He had only 6.5 sacks last season, which was partly due to how he was used. Reese played inside linebacker, outside linebacker and defensive end. He projects as a three-down player.

That versatility as a hybrid defender is appealing and particularly to the Jets, who will be utilizing three, four and five-man fronts with Glenn now calling the defensive plays.

Reese has been compared to perennial Pro Bowler and game-wrecker Micah Parsons, who has averaged 13 sacks a year in the NFL after totaling just 6.5 in two seasons at Penn State.

Glenn likened Reese to Houston's Danielle Hunter and said proper coaching can bring greatness out of the player. Hunter had 4.5 sacks over three seasons at LSU. He has had at least 12 six times in the NFL, including the last three years.

“His stats weren't up there, but he had all the traits,” Glenn said. “Then you got a coach that can coach him to be where he's at right now. So I look at it the same way.”

2. David Bailey

Reese has been linked to the Jets more than any player, but Bailey’s name started picking up steam last week.

The Jets have to seriously consider Bailey with the No. 2 pick. He’s the most polished pass rusher in this draft and a perfect fit for the Jets as an outside linebacker if they use more of a 3-4 base.

Bailey (6-4, 251) has elite speed for an edge rusher. The Stanford transfer ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at the Combine — the fastest time for his position.

Explosive coming off the edge, Bailey constantly made plays in the backfield in his only season with Texas Tech. He led the FBS with 14.5 sacks and was second with 19.5 tackles for loss. He also had three strip sacks.

The question the Jets must answer is whether they believe Reese will be a better and more disruptive player long-term than the 22-year-old Bailey. If Glenn wants to win now to help preserve his job, he could lean toward Bailey because he is a plug-and-play defender who could have more of an immediate impact.

“As we’re coming down the stretch here, this feels more like Bailey bird-in-the-hand versus the upside with Reese,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on Peter Schrager’s podcast, “The Schrager Hour.”

Bailey was college football’s highest-graded edge rusher by Pro Football Focus and rated the No. 1 edge in this draft class, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

3. Sonny Styles

It’s hard to see the Jets drafting an off-ball linebacker with the No. 2 pick, but Styles would be a strong option if they traded down a few spots.

Styles (6-5, 244) is a versatile, extremely athletic playmaker. He spent his first two seasons at Ohio State playing safety before moving to linebacker in 2024. Styles recorded 100 tackles that season and was voted First-Team All-American last year.

He has drawn comparisons to Fred Warner, a four-time All-Pro for the 49ers. Warner played safety and linebacker in college.

Styles stood out at the Combine, running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and boasted a 43 1/2 vertical leap and 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump. Styles has the speed and size to be effective in the run game and cover tight ends. All of those things could be intriguing for Glenn and the Jets.