Titans First Round EDGE Decision: What makes Arvell Reese, Rueben Bain, and David Bailey stand apart at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft
Reese, Bain, and Bailey all have very high ceilings, as well as completely different question marks as prospects.
There is a very good chance the Tennessee Titans leave the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with an edge rusher.
Why? The convergence of history, need, and positional value. History makes this crystal clear: with very few exceptions, the only way to find a star EDGE is by drafting one in the first round. It is perhaps the simplest position to fill, because it is the hardest to fill. Take one first, or try to cobble it together with lesser pieces. Very few diamonds in the rough emerge here.
The Titans have not spent a first round pick on EDGE since Derrick Morgan in 2010. The position has been a real need for them ever since Harold Landry tore his ACL in 2022. It’s time to get this room put back together.
The good news is that with the fourth overall pick in this draft class, you’re guaranteed to have a chance to draft one of the consensus top-3 edge rushers in the class. Titans fans are going to hear a lot about Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, Miami’s Rueben Bain, and Texas Tech’s David Bailey this spring. What makes them such a fascinating conversation is that all three have tremendous upside, while also all having a very different form of the same question: can they actually play EDGE?
Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
On the majority of big boards out there right now, Arvell Reese is ranked the highest of these three. He’s expected to go in the first five picks of the draft, and has been talked about all year as one of the best football players in this class, full stop. He’s 6’4″ 243lbs, and he showed off his versatility in OSU’s defense taking on a variety of roles in college. So what’s the rub?
Well Reese’s form of the “can he actually play EDGE” question is the most straightforward. Because a lot of people have him projected as a standup linebacker in the NFL.
He played a lot of linebacker last year. 327 of his snaps were at the line of scrimmage, and 286 came off the ball. He tallied 6.5 sacks as a part-time pass rusher though, with 10 TFLs to boot.
For most, this comes down to a positional value and upside debate. Few people dispute he will likely be a good ball player no matter where he lines up. But what’s the tradeoff, and how will his next team want to use him?
If you ask me, keep things in caveman terms on this one. He can rush passer good, so he’s going to rush passer good. I think he would probably be at his absolute best as a standup linebacker in the league, but what value does that bring vs. using him as a rusher? If you offer me an A+ off-ball linebacker or an A- edge rusher, give me the edge rusher.
One last thing that I’ll add is that whoever drafts him needs to have a thought-out and intentional plan. The wrong organization could screw this up by trying to make him do too much. I would trust Saleh’s defense to maximize him in particular.
Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
Rueben Bain is the EDGE rusher that was seen by the most people this past year as he played a pivotal role in Miami’s march to the national title game. He flashed like crazy in the playoffs, and people couldn’t get enough of the game-breaking Miami defensive front that he lead.
Bain is incredibly strong at 6’3″ 275lbs, and that lends itself to him excelling as both a rusher and run defender. He’s very well rounded. And he was really productive last year, tallying 12 sacks and 68 hurries.
So what’s his version of “can he play EDGE”? His length.
Sub-31″ arms is just killer for a true edge rusher. Like it or not, this is going to matter a lot to front offices. When you’d be the first high-end player at your position in at least 25+ years with this lack of length, it’s going to stop people in their tracks. Nobody likes betting on a unicorn.
The question to me isn’t whether he’ll be a good ball player, it’s where he’ll end up aligning. I’m personally pretty confident he can play 5- and 7-tech. Are you going to line him up as a wide 9? I seriously doubt it. At worst, will he bulk up and be a really good 3-tech? I think it’s a possibility. But if you’re the Titans, what do you do with a valuable 3-tech when Jeffery Simmons exists?
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Finally, we have David Bailey. If you like production and one of the most wicked get-offs you’ve ever seen, this is your guy. At 6’3″ 250lbs, he tallied 15 sacks and 43 hurries last year at TTU. And that first step is just outrageous. This man is going to get past you and after your QB if you aren’t quick.
His version of “can he actually play EDGE” is about being on the field all three downs. Detractors point to his inconsistency and softness on tape defending the run at times, and the downside risk is generally that he becomes too one-dimensional as a third down speed rusher.
The above tweet puts it perfectly: he’s not the model of consistency in spots on his tape, but boy are the splashes electric!