Aaron Glenn's scheme may be what is hurting David Bailey in up-and-down start

Over the last two games, which came against quality opponents in the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, New York Jets rookie pass rusher and No. 2 overall pick David Bailey has provided almost zero pass rush production.

There are plenty of theories popping up to explain the stagnating play. Bailey's lack of bend, his currently limited number of pass-rush moves, and the fact that no one else on the defensive line is stepping up, which takes the pressure off him, all seem like reasons for his inability to replicate a strong start to the season.

One underdiscussed explanation for the last two weeks is a poor schematic fit. Bailey, who played with his hand in the dirt as a pure edge rusher in a 4-2-5 scheme at Texas Tech, is trying to transition to a 3-4 outside linebacker hybrid role. The results have been mixed, to say the least.

The New York Jets forcing David Bailey to play as a 3-4 OLB isn't working

Glenn had run four defensive linemen almost exclusively during his time in Detroit, but his first year with the Jets went so poorly that he completely overhauled his defensive approach and went for a 3-4 attack. This change has made the Jets' defense better than it was last year, but the defensive line as a unit has underperformed.

Let's put the Arvell Reese discussion to the side for a bit. Bailey is dropping back into coverage like never before in his career and rushing from a stance he is unfamiliar with. Doing that while adjusting to NFL power and speed is difficult, even more so on a defensive line that has massively underperformed.

Oddly enough, Bailey may have been a better fit in a Robert Saleh-type defense wherein he can line up wide with his hand in the dirt and scream off the edge with his speed from those alignments. Bailey is essentially learning a new position, all while trying to learn how to beat NFL athletes.

The New York Jets may need to play David Bailey as a 4-3 end to get more sacks

Glenn may need to make some adjustments and deploy more four-man fronts, even if that means playing T'Vondre Sweat as something other than a true nose tackle. Bailey has actually defended the run better than many expected, meaning there could be hope that he could hold up if he plays as a down lineman in the pros.

The Jets may have adhered too strictly to the philosophy of raising the floor, so they added a bunch of players with talent who don't fit quite together in Glenn's scheme. That would explain the fact that all of their defensive tackles are run-stuffers with no pass rush, most of their edge rushers are speed-first players without physicality, and there is no hybrid linebacker despite this alignment calling for one.

Bailey's NFL career is far from decided after one month of games with Kingsley Enagbare as the best pass rusher aside from him, but the combination of his own growing pains and the staff not doing enough to get him in a position to be successful is having some painful knock-on effects.

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