The New York Jets opted for production over potential, selecting Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with the second pick Thursday night in the NFL draft.
Bailey, arguably the top pass rusher in college football last season, got the nod over Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese, a hybrid player with big upside. For weeks, draftniks debated between Bailey and Reese, fueling intense speculation.
Reese was later selected by the New York Giants with the No. 5 pick.
Bailey never took a top-30 visit to the Jets, who cancelled the scheduled meeting -- a move that fueled rampant speculation about their interest in him. Bailey said he didn't read too much into it.
"I mean, I didn't know if it was an unusual thing to do, but I was still confident in the interactions that I had with them at the combine," he told reporters after being selected. "I felt good with them. And then also we had a dinner back in Lubbock [Texas] after my pro day, so I still felt good with the prior conversations. I know they, for whatever reason, they had their reasons [cancelling the visit]. So I was just trusting my agent and trusting the process."
Bailey becomes the highest-drafted defensive player in Jets history after leading the FBS in sacks (14.5), tackles for loss (23) and quarterback pressure percentage (20.4) for the 2025 season.
With Bailey, the first of the Jets' five first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027, the Jets addressed a major need on defense. In a 3-14 season, they produced only 26 sacks -- 31st in the NFL. That lack of consistent pressure was one of the reasons New York became the first team without an interception in a season with at least 16 games.
Bailey joins an edge-rushing group that includes Will McDonald IV (team-leading eight sacks), former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai and former Green Bay Packers pass rusher Kingsley Enagbare. Jermaine Johnson, one of New York's top pass rushers, was traded to the Tennessee Titans in March.
At Texas Tech, Bailey played as a stand-up rusher while also working out of a three-point stance. He was known by scouts as a quick rusher with outstanding speed. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, the fastest at the combine for a player weighing at least 250 pounds.
The concerns with Bailey are his run defense and the fact that he played only one season of college ball as a full-time starter. Before his one season at Tech, he recorded 14.5 sacks in three seasons at Stanford.