Over the subsequent few months, we’ll be breaking down the entire rookies added by the Jets through the draft and as undrafted free brokers. We proceed at the moment with edge defender David Bailey.
The 22-year previous Bailey is listed at 6’3” and 251 kilos and was the second general select of Texas Tech. He was a unanimous all-American final season, as he was tied for essentially the most sacks within the nation with 14.5.
Bailey was a four-star highschool recruit who racked up 15.5 sacks in his senior 12 months and enrolled at Stanford.
In his freshman 12 months, Bailey began 9 occasions and ended the season with 46 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two compelled fumbles in 11 video games.
2023 noticed him begin 5 occasions however his manufacturing was stable. He had 34 tackles and 5 sacks in 10 video games.
In 2024, Bailey remained in an element time function, making simply two begins. He had 31 tackles and 7 sacks but additionally compelled 5 fumbles.
Having graduated, he transferred from Stanford to Texas Tech and broke out in a full-time defensive finish function. He began 13 of 14 video games and had 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, three compelled fumbles and three move breakups.
The 14.5 sacks was tied for essentially the most within the nation and he was named as a unanimous all-American and the Huge XII defensive lineman of the 12 months.
After he was invited to the mix and senior bowl (though he didn’t take part within the latter), the Jets opted to pick Bailey with the second general decide in April’s 2026 draft.
Let’s transfer onto some extra in-depth evaluation of what Bailey brings to the desk, based mostly on in-depth analysis and movie examine.
Bailey showcased his athletic skill on the scouting mix when he was clocked at 4.50 within the 40-yard sprint and posted an excellent broad bounce of 129 inches. His vertical was 35 inches.
He didn’t do any agility drills or the bench press, and there may be some concern about his play power, notably when setting the sting.
Bailey possesses above common size and large arms, however general is a bit of on the small facet.
Bailey’s function at Stanford was a rotational outdoors linebacker function, which noticed him employed situationally. It was uncommon for him to play off the ball or drop into protection, though he did step off the road to match up with a slot receiver on the snap occasionally.
After the switch to Texas Tech, Bailey turned a full-time defensive finish. At occasions, he was aligned over a deal with and even inside.
Bailey is a relentlessly violent move rusher who retains on coming and right here’s among the finest examples of that you possibly can hope to see.
He performed 50 snaps six occasions in 2025, together with 73 in a single recreation, so a starter’s workload shouldn’t be past him.
At occasions throughout his Stanford years, Bailey didn’t all the time play to the whistle, which was presumably extra of an effort situation than a scarcity of conditioning. There have been a couple of performs right here and there the place he was wandering round whereas a play was nonetheless happening and may need influenced the result if he had bothered to chase down what he clearly noticed as a possible misplaced trigger.
This could undoubtedly be characterised as inconsistent effort relatively than constantly dangerous effort, although, as a result of he additionally made some maniacal hustle performs. It additionally wasn’t one thing that was obvious in his Texas Tech movie, at which stage he was clearly attempting to set instance and maximise his personal output.
Bailey clearly had excellent manufacturing as a move rusher with Texas Tech however truly, his per-snap manufacturing at Stanford was comparable. You’d usually anticipate diminishing returns from doubling somebody’s workload, however Bailey was impressively capable of keep his ranges.
As a move rusher, Bailey depends closely on an excellent get-off and usually wins by beating his blocker to a spot or going by him with momentum.
There are blended evaluations about his explosiveness and fluidity by way of his skill to bend the sting, particularly after this side of his recreation got here beneath added scrutiny when footage of a less-than-perfect mix drill was launched. Nevertheless, you gained’t discover many higher examples of bending the sting on movie than this:
He maybe must study to indicate extra by way of transitioning easily to counter-moves, as a result of he typically didn’t actually need to do this since his authentic plan was typically profitable.
Bailey’s run protection is a priority for a lot of, though Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has been fast to level out he doesn’t actually share these issues and he did grade out properly final 12 months, in accordance with analytical website Professional Soccer Focus.
Nonetheless, there are conditions the place he struggles to carry up on the level of assault and reveals poor self-discipline on the sting. Once more, although, he’s inconsistent with this relatively than being a continuing legal responsibility. He can penetrate or rise up his man at occasions, particularly when he comes off the road with the identical type of explosiveness as he does when move dashing.
As you’d anticipate, Bailey is at his only in conditions the place he isn’t blocked (for instance staying at house on the sting to include a cutback or pursuing downhill when a run goes away from him). This additionally means he depends loads on creating conditions when he can elude blocks relatively than taking them on, which might extra extra of a difficulty when he’s enjoying as a traditional lineman when realistically you want to have the ability to do each.
So, whereas he could be efficient at slashing by the road to shoot a niche, he must work on his skill to stack and shed, in any other case groups will simply begin to use his momentum towards him to trip him out of operating lanes. Even so, he has proven he can get off blocks. He simply may take the good distance spherical or quit floor in doing so.
Watching his run protection efficiency, the larger concern won’t be an incapacity to carry up on the level of assault. As a substitute, it’s arguably extra regarding that he doesn’t play with self-discipline and may lose include consequently.
As talked about above, the very fact his default is to attempt to shoot gaps and keep away from blockers is a matter right here as a result of he can discover himself getting sealed off or caught in site visitors relatively than taking up a block and having the ability to do a greater job of seeing the play develop.
Bailey reveals some slick move dashing strikes, together with an efficient cross chop, a dip-and-rip and an inside spin counter.
Along with his spectacular get-off, Bailey can show some stable punch energy, which could be an asset within the trenches in addition to when dashing the passer.
If he permits a lineman to get their arms inside on him, Bailey could be locked up and wrestle to separate. He subsequently have to work at his hand utilization and the accuracy of his strikes, however line of defense coach Karl Dunbar ought to be capable to tighten that up.
There’s typically an fascinating recreation of cat and mouse happening between Bailey and his blocker. If Bailey pre-determines that he’s going to swat away the lineman’s preliminary punch, as he appears to do recurrently, then the lineman can delay his punch and get Bailey off-balance. Nevertheless, Bailey will typically simply speed up previous the lineman and rip by, or counter inside when this occurs. Once more, Dunbar could possibly assist him to maximise his probabilities of successful these battles and actually unlock his potential to be fully unstoppable.
Bailey did play some particular groups in faculty. Along with dashing kicks and punts, he served as a blocker in punt safety in 2022 and coated kicks in 2024. In all, he had three particular groups tackles and one penalty in his profession.
Bailey wasn’t a very productive tackler in faculty, however he reveals good closing pace and ending skill. In pursuit, Bailey has spectacular vary and reveals terrific hustle.
His missed deal with numbers usually are not notably excessive. Seven is essentially the most he ever had in a season and his missed deal with share dropped in 2025. Nearly all of the missed tackles he did have in his profession had been on failed makes an attempt to deliver down the quarterback relatively than on operating performs.
Pressured fumbles, totally on strip sacks, are a giant a part of Bailey’s recreation. He had 10 in 4 seasons throughout his faculty profession, together with eight up to now two years.
Bailey’s expertise in a linebacker function offers him some protection expertise and though he didn’t actually obtain a lot inside that function to make him dropping into protection be something apart from a changeup he doesn’t look too dangerous in such conditions.
When he was protecting at Stanford, this virtually completely entailed dropping off after which limiting the harm on any brief passes thrown in his path. However, it most likely helped him general that he hardly ever wanted to do it final season.
Bailey had 4 passes defensed in his faculty profession, all on passes deflected on the line of scrimmage or performs the place he stepped right into a passing lane to bat a move down.
Bailey’s head coach at Texas Tech, Joey McGuire, praised his soccer IQ and the way properly he was capable of adapt to their system and his new function, though he has blended outcomes by way of anticipating issues like screens and never being fooled by misdirection.
It was not unusual to see Bailey do issues like operating straight previous a ball service on a draw play or pursuing a participant who doesn’t have the ball as a result of he doesn’t understand the quarterback stored it after a playfake. His instincts in house could be questionable at occasions, too.
As famous, hole and function self-discipline is usually a concern and one thing Glenn might want to coach into him. There have been occasions the place Bailey tried to make a play himself and left the protection frolicked to dry relatively than staying at house.
He jumped offside 4 occasions in 2025 and has been identified to chew on a tough rely.
Bailey obtained a level from Stanford earlier than transferring and earned all-ACC tutorial honors in 2024 earlier than enrolling in post-graduation programs at Texas Tech, so he’s clearly clever and has work ethic, which confirmed on the sphere final season.
Additionally, as an older participant on that workforce, among the youthful defensive gamers seemed to him for steering.
There are a couple of issues about Bailey’s character however the Jets appear unbothered by these. It’s obvious he has a little bit of a mood, which noticed him concerned in a postgame altercation with a cameraman on the sphere and stomping on an opponent’s head in two-well publicized incidents.
His on-field self-discipline isn’t in any other case a serious concern, as he averaged simply 4 defensive penalties per 12 months. Nevertheless, he had a career-high of seven final 12 months, three of which had been private fouls.
The controversy about his pre-draft go to doesn’t appear to be one thing that involved the Jets, who apparently had already determined he was their man and weren’t bothered by the very fact the preparations for his top-30 go to didn’t work out as initially deliberate.
There are some who’ve been questioning whether or not Bailey has the fervour for the sport required to make it as a profitable professional over the longer-term, however the Jets have little doubt satisfied themselves they’ll inspire him to work onerous – as he has finished since being drafted – and hold him on that path.
Accidents haven’t critically affected Bailey in any respect throughout his profession thus far. An arm damage suffered in final 12 months’s season finale didn’t trigger him to overlook any time and he confirmed toughness by enjoying despite a wrist damage again in highschool.
The Jets will function out of assorted fronts this 12 months, which is able to imply that Bailey will get reps standing up and along with his hand(s) within the filth, however he has expertise of each, which ought to serve him properly.
Some have famous that Bailey doesn’t complement Will McDonald very properly within the base protection as a result of they’re each perceived to be weak towards the run, though McDonald has improved in that space since being drafted and there have been no indicators that the Jets had been decreasing his publicity to enjoying the run final season.
In passing units, Bailey and McDonald ought to complement each other rather well coming off reverse edges. As McDonald is extra of a pace rusher across the edge and Bailey could be extra of a speed-to-power choice, it will give the Jets possibilities to match up and exploit their opponent’s weaknesses on the deal with positions. If one can flush the quarterback from the pocket, the opposite ought to typically be there to scrub up.
Bailey hasn’t been a teammate of any present Jets, however there are a couple of coaches on the employees who had been at Stanford when he was, albeit that they had been all on the offensive facet of the ball. Formally, his time there overlapped with Frank Reich’s time as their head coach, however by lower than per week, as Bailey was already within the switch portal when Reich took over.
As quickly because the Jets traded Jermaine Johnson, it appeared inevitable that they might draft the perfect edge defender out there with the second general decide and clearly the Jets decided that Bailey is that man.
His get off and explosive upfield rush is an elite trait which the remainder of his recreation could be constructed round and his manufacturing final 12 months is trigger for optimism that he can instantly begin producing on the NFL degree.
The run protection could be a piece in progress for some time, however the Jets have accrued loads of depth in case they should limit his function early on to optimize him. He ought to be motivated to enhance that side of his recreation in order that his general enjoying time and manufacturing can enhance.
In his movie, there appear to be extra noticed flaws than you may anticipate to see from somebody drafted so excessive, maybe lending weight to the suggestion that this draft wasn’t as wealthy in top-end defensive expertise as some current years. Most of those flaws had been from his Stanford movie, although, so his 2025 success suggests he both labored on these, or that they had been mitigated to a level by his function change.
Clearly Bailey has elite potential and steps right into a place with the Jets the place he hopefully has good teaching and the gamers round him to have the ability to have probability of success. Whether or not he lives as much as the hype is as much as him.
