On Thursday, April 23rd, the 2026 NFL Draft took place as hundreds of college football players gathered in hopes of hearing their name called by commissioner, Roger Goodell. The Las Vegas Raiders had the number one pick on lock, so unfortunately for the Jets, they took the only elite quarterback in this year’s class, Fernando Mendoza. So, the Jets will be rolling with Geno Smith for next year before hoping to find their new QB in 2027. However, with the Jets picking at number two, fans were intrigued with how they were going to continue to build their foundation, and they got a good start with EDGE rusher David Bailey.
Bailey joins the Jets from Texas Tech, where he was undoubtedly the number one EDGE rusher to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. This was a great pick for the Jets. Surely, some people can argue that Ohio State’s Arvell Reese was someone who should have been taken instead. However, Bailey was equally as good a pick. His pro-comp is Nik Bonitto, and if he can half of that career, this pick will be looked at as a huge success for the Jets. Here’s how he fits into the NY Jets defense.
How does David Bailey fit into the NY Jets defense?
David Bailey may have truly been the best pure pass rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft. This says something, considering he can still grow and develop further at the NFL level. But his floor is incredibly high. Throughout this entire NFL Draft process, Bailey has been touted as one of the top defensive prospects, alongside those like Reese. The idea behind Bailey’s development was further solidified by his strong combine performance, including a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, which is truly outstanding for someone his size.
Bailey has already been called a polished pass rusher. He makes it tough for blockers to get a clean look at him. He uses his agility to get past offensive linemen, often sending them to their backs in the process. He redirects himself with ease with his explosive speed. This speed and agility also make it easy for him to get to the quarterback. With the Jets desperate to boost their defense, Bailey is a sure-fire player who is ready to play at the NFL-level.
He is coming off a season with Texas Tech in which he had 14.5 sacks. This is a major for a team that finished with the 31st-least amount of sacks in the entire 2025 NFL season. Last season, the Jets’ edge rushers combined for 15 sacks and 112 pressures. Eight of those sacks came from Will McDonald, and six came in two games against the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. So, it’s safe to say that the Jets desperately need some pass-rush help. He provides a much-needed lift for a team that had such a weak selection of EDGE rushers. Bailey can get to the quarterback and has shown he can pick up more than his fair share of sacks.
While many preferred Arvell Reese’s all-around game play, the Jets were enamored with Bailey’s ability to get to the quarterback. The Jets desperately needed a pass rusher who could give this team a shot in the arm when needed, and that’s exactly what they got with Bailey. He is indeed a major supercharger for this defense, especially considering that by himself last season, Bailey matched the entire Jets’ edge rushers’ numbers in sacks.
The difference between David Bailey and Arvell Reese is found in the details and the all-around game. There’s only one EDGE choice for the New York #Jets at No. 2. pic.twitter.com/7DeGcrfaj7
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) March 11, 2026
As of right now, Bailey can undoubtedly be slotted into the left defensive end spot and earn the starting role over Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare, and Tyler Baron. Over on the right side, Will McDonald seemingly has that side on lock. He’s the unanimous starter over Braiden McGregor, Eric Watts, and Kingsley Jonathan. One eye-popping name missing from this list is Jermaine Johnson, who finds himself on the Tennessee Titans now with the former Jets coach, Robert Saleh.
The Jets flipped Johnson for nose-tackle T’Vondre Sweat, and signed Ossai and Enagbare as free agents. Ossai will get some snaps at stand-up linebacker, whereas Enagbare can alternate between stand-up linebacker and with his hand in the dirt. Of course, McDonald will have that right side on lock and prove to be Bailey’s primary running mate. Maybe the Jets felt that the duo of McDonald and Bailey on the field at the same time would be too much for opposing offenses to handle.
Perhaps the biggest concern with Bailey is the fact that he hasn’t shown to be a great run-defender. When he’s sharing the field with Will McDonald for snaps, some may try to point out the idea that teams will take advantage of the bulk; however, there are many reasons to be optimistic about both being able to play fine together, and Bailey fitting into this NY Jets defense quite well.
The Jets already have a strong run-defending defensive line, led by new addition T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, and Jowon Briggs. GM Darren Mougey is likely looking at his old Denver defense, which dominates, despite Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper on the outside, as a source of inspiration. Spoiler alert: This Jets squad, as is, may not be too far off. McDonald and Bailey will also be joined by Ossai and Enagbare off the edge. That crew, replacing Watts, McGregor, and Baron, will instantly be much more feared on the outside.
Overall, is Bailey the perfect player? No. However, this team needed juice off the edge desperately. They needed a player to make those big plays, give their fans and the team itself a shot in the arm, and most importantly, get to the quarterback. With the Jets being downright bad in that statistic last year, get ready to see their defense start to turn around for the better, and that all starts with the pick of David Bailey.
