Grading the pick: David Bailey brings some needed juice to the New York Jets pass rush as the second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
New York Jets decide on Texas Tech pass rush phenom David Bailey with the second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They took Bailey over the likes of Arvell Reese, Carnell Tate, Rueben Bain, and more. How does this decision grade out?
The New York Jets have been a mysterious team to monitor ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. At pick two, the team has been linked to a large group of players over the past few months. Ultimately, they’ve landed on Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.
Bailey has been looked at as one of the best players in the draft all cycle long. The Jets were linked to multiple talented players, but over the past couple of days, the national media began to focus in on Bailey as the pick.
Jets taking David Bailey over Arvell Reese will be looked at under a microscope for years to come
While the Jets surely considered multiple players with this pick, the big two linked to them were Bailey and Arvell Reese of Ohio State. Bailey was viewed as the safer option with his proven pass-rush ability. Reese is a hybrid between a linebacker and an edge rusher and is seen to have more risk but could offer greater reward.
A to Z Sports’ NFL Draft analyst Tyler Forness broke down Bailey’s game for us here:
In the transfer portal last offseason, David Bailey was a fascinating player to keep an eye on. He thrived at Stanford, and took his game to the next level with the Red Raiders. Bailey is an explosive pass rusher who can take the arc on any tackle at the college level. He doesn’t quite have the elite bend you’d like to see, but the overall athleticism and motor are great assets to whomever selects him.
A to Z Sports NFL draft analyst
Tyler Forness
Bailey now joins a Jets defensive line with the likes of Will McDonald IV and T’Vondre Sweat. Bailey and McDonald IV, both proven speed rushers, will make life hard on opposing tackles. And more importantly, will likely gas them out quickly in games.
I think the Jets made a good pick, but not the best pick they could have. The Jets are not David Bailey away from competing. This is going to be a multiple-year rebuild. So if I were them, I would have gone with the higher-upside player, Reese. Bailey has the potential to rack up double-digit sacks. And if he does that at a consistent rate, no one will be second-guessing this pick. Overall, I’ll go with a B+.
Grade: B+
See who else you can add to the Jets 2026 NFL Draft class by using A to Z Sports mock draft simulator.
