For weeks, the debate has boomeranged around social media, talk radio and anyplace else people are interested in the NFL Draft: After Las Vegas is expected to make Indiana QB the No. 1 overall selection, which of two elite edge players are the Jets expected to take at No. 2.

Ohio State's Arvell Reese or Texas Tech's David Bailey.

"The great thing about the draft is you never know until that pick comes in and the commissioner announces it at the podium, you never know," The Athletic's NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler told senior reporter Eric Allen on the draft preview show "Now Boarding."

If it appears that Brugler's life has been taken over by the yearly parade of football talent that's because it has been for years. He is the author of "The Beast" and his list of the 300 best collegiate players available starting Thursday night in Pittsburgh. No. 1 on that list: Reese.

"It's not something I come in and I'm saying, 'OK, I'm going to make it this many words or this many pages.' " Brugler said about his yearlong project. "I just do the work and it ends up where it ends up. And I think the amount of background nuggets, all the little tidbits that you're just not going to find elsewhere, and then all the NFL verified testing information for 2,700 players. It's all in one spot for you. And I just don't think you're going to get that anywhere else."

In Brugler's analysis, Reese is edge 1 and No. 1 overall while Bailey is edge 2 and No. 7 overall.

"Those two guys make the most sense for this team," Brugler said. "And I think it's a debate either way about which way they could be leaning. I think Bailey is more of the established pass rusher, where you throw on the film and he's getting after the quarterback in a big way. That's speed, and he's strong enough where it's hard to push him off his path. I thought he took a big step this year in terms of him as a run defender, which was kind of the big question coming into the year, because at Stanford in 2024 he was almost a sub-package player because they didn't really trust him on early downs. Then this year at Texas Tech, he did a lot more of being every down player."

Reese, however, younger than Bailey by 2 years, has shown incredible versatility and could have more room to grow into the Jets' updated defensive scheme with HC Aaron Glenn calling the plays in the 2026 NFL season.

"To me, Arvell Reese is the best player in the draft, and I think a part of that is the hybrid nature of all the ways he can impact your defense," Brugler said. "And I think some people see that, and they're a little scared off by oh well, he doesn't have a true position. This isn't a tweener. And there's a big difference between being a tweener and then being versatile, being able to do a lot of different things. His value to that Ohio State defense with [DC] Matt Patricia was the ability to show something pre-snap and then another thing post-snap, line up on the edge one play, but then be a stacked 'backer at the next. And so, I think that was his value. But if you wanted him to be a full-time pass rusher, why can't he do that? There's nothing on film that says he can't do that. And so there's a little bit of projection here, but there's projection with all these guys where you're going to be asking them to do something a little bit different than what they were asked to do at the college level."

'One of My Favorite Players'
Though he's only rated CB3 in "The Beast," Brugler called San Diego State CB Chris Johnson "one of my favorite players."

"I think he's someone that, if you were to make it to 33 [the first pick of Round 2, which is currently owned by the Jets] that's someone that you run that card up," Brugler said. "He's tall [6-0]. In terms of his ability to play, press, play off play zone, he can do all of that. The ball skills, he's [got] a nose for the ball. He's physical. So I think Chris Johnson, just across the board, kind of checks every box that I'm looking for at the cornerback position."

For Green & White, 7 Rounds, 9 Picks
So here, (as things stand) one day before the start of the draft, Dane Brugler's predictions for the Jets' nine selections:

Rd. 1 (2 overall) Arvell Reese, edge, Ohio State ... "Best player in the draft"
Rd. 1 (16) Makai Lemon, WR, USC ... "His ability to play through contact, his ability to get open, find those hidden yards. I just really like the football player."
Rd. 2 (33) Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson ... "If he falls to the second round, I'm going to snatch him up pretty quickly."
Rd. 2 (44) Caleb Banks, DT, Florida ... "At 6-5, 327 just not many guys walking around the earth that look like him and move like him."
Rd. 4 (103) Drew Allar, QB, Penn State ... "Developmental option, has yet to play his best football."
Rd. 4 (140) Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State ... "No questions about the way this guy moves and how explosive he is, and so just add another explosive weapon to that backfield."
Rd. 5 (179. Kage Casey, G, Boise State ... "Not the biggest, not the strongest, not the most athletic, but he's good across the board."
Rd. 7 (228) Tyre West, DL, Tennessee ... "Can kick inside, be a three technique as well. You can just do a lot of different things with him. He's a versatile player."
Rd. 7 (242) Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio) ... "Former Ohio State walk on who this past season really stood out."