David Bailey is going to get his trip to Florham Park after all.
The Jets selected the Texas Tech edge rusher with the No. 2 overall pick on Thursday night, ending months of speculation about whether the Jets would select Bailey or Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.
The Jets made news by canceling Bailey’s pre-draft visit to their training center in Florham Park, N.J. That move was seen by some as an indication the Jets were not interested in taking Bailey. But it appears it meant nothing as Jets coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey are betting on Bailey with the No. 2 pick.
Bailey, who will turn 23 in August, is viewed as a better pure pass rusher than Reese. Bailey led the FBS with 14 ½ sacks and a 21.3 percent pressure rate for the Red Raiders last year. He was second in the FBS with 19 ½ tackles for loss and 81 pressures.
The 6-foot-4, 251-pounder is viewed by scouts as an immediate contributor as a a pass rusher. He ran a 4.50 40-yard dash and has an explosive first step that gets him around the edge in a hurry. He started his college career at Stanford and then transferred to Texas Tech last year. Bailey graduated from Stanford in less than four years with a degree in science, technology and society.
The question about Bailey is how well he will hold up against the run. The Jets already have a similar player in 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald. Can they have two players who are designated pass rushers but liabilities against the run? We’ll find out.
Bailey was viewed by some as a safer pick for Glenn, who enters 2026 on the hot seat. While Reese was viewed as more of a projection as a pass rusher, Bailey appears more likely to be an immediate factor rushing the passer.
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Bailey is the first of two first-round picks the Jets have on Thursday. They are also slated to pick at No. 16 if they do not trade the pick. The expectation is that they will take a receiver with that spot. The Jets also have two second-round picks (Nos. 33 and 44) on Friday night.
This year’s draft presents an opportunity for Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey to jumpstart their rebuild after a disappointing 3-14 season in 2025. The Jets are in the midst of a 15-year playoff drought, the longest in North American sports.
Bailey becomes the first Texas Tech player drafted by the Jets since 2014 when they took tight end Jace Amaro in the second round.
