The New York Jets took three players in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, David Bailey at No. 2 overall, Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16, and Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30.
Of these three picks, the one who's stood out the most this preseason is obviously Bailey. But that's not hard to do when Sadiq is sidelined due to injury, and Cooper has been fighting for the WR3 job.
However, there's a big difference with Bailey. He's not just looked the part of a top pick; according to Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic, Bailey is a "preseason winner" because he's not only looked good where expected, but he's been more than advertised thus far.
"Bailey has basically been with the Jets' starters the whole way, and he's been a bit more impactful versus the run than I might've originally expected," Baungardner writes. "He picked up a sack last week against the Steelers, too, beating a tackle off the corner using his speed and length."
Bailey's preseason performance was encouraging enough for the second overall pick to receive the "winner" label. He only had one sack during the preseason with two total tackles.
But the overall outlook for Bailey during the preseason was encouraging enough for the Jets to be reasonably excited about what he could do for the team in 2026 and beyond.
The most notable comment from Baumgardner in his praise for Bailey is that he's not just showing off his pass-rushing chops. He also looked good against the run.
His run defense might've been the only thing holding him back from being a truly elite prospect, especially considering what he did as a pass rusher last season.
At Texas Tech, Bailey recorded 14.5 sacks with three forced fumbles, 52 total tackles, and three passes defended. That 14.5-sack mark matched his sack production through the first three seasons of his collegiate career with Stanford.
The 23-year-old edge rusher is someone who has incredibly high pass-rushing upside, and now it appears he's shown enough in the run-defense game to earn some praise from Baumgardner.
He did note how Bailey still has "plenty to prove." But he's such an eye-catching player who's already shown plenty to be excited about heading into his rookie season.
It's way too early to make any judgments on Bailey, but after the preseason and training camp, it's hard not to feel like the Jets made the right decision with Bailey.
