How high might David Bailey go in the 2026 NFL Draft?
LUBBOCK, Texas - All-American edge rusher David Bailey of Texas Tech won't need to wait long to hear his name called on April 23, the day of Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
After a stellar season in Lubbock with the Red Raiders, the 6-3, 250-pound defensive end has been slotted throughout the top-10 of this year's draft, but in NFL Network's latest mock, Bailey saw his highest projection yet.
Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Bailey landing No. 2 overall to the New York Jets, just behind the Las Vegas Raiders getting Heisman Trophy-winner and consensus top-prospect quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
"The Jets have their pick of the draft’s finest edge rushers here," Jeremiah wrote. "Bailey’s combination of explosiveness and production is the best of the bunch."
The rest of the top-5 goes as follows: Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa to the Arizona Cardinals, Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. to the Tennessee Titans, and Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate to the New York Giants.
Bailey's position as the nation's best pass rusher was evident in his ranking throughout the season as one of the most prolific sack-getters in college football. He ended the with a nation-best 14.5 sacks helping the Red Raiders put together their best season in program history and reach the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.
The 19.5 tackles for loss for the edge rusher were also the top mark in the Big 12, though he lost out conference Defensive Player of the Year honors to his teammate, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
If it weren't for "J-Rod", you can argue that Bailey would have racked up even more defensive awards, individually, but the pairing did walk away with the Pony Express Award given annually to the best duo in college football, regardless of position.
The Irvine, Calif. native, along with Rodriguez, earned consensus First Team All-America honors after every major publication put him on their defensive team.
"Just proud of them. I'm so proud of this team," head coach Joey McGuire said after Bailey and the Red Raiders won Texas Tech's first Big 12 title.
Looking at Texas Tech's all-time history in the NFL Draft, only one Red Raider has ever been drafted No. 1 overall: future Pro-Bowl pass-catcher Dave Parks, picked by the San Francisco 49ers in 1964.
The second-highest Red Raider to be drafted is defensive end Tyree Wilson, who is Texas Tech's last first-round selection in 2023 at No. 7 overall.
If this projection holds up, Bailey could be on his way to becoming the second-highest-drafted Red Raider of all-time.