Arvell Reese's Week 4 breakout game only makes David Bailey's struggles look worse

Roughly six months ago, New York Jets fans were embroiled in debate about which defensive prospect the team should use the No. 2 overall pick on in the 2026 NFL Draft: Texas Tech's David Bailey or Ohio State's Arvell Reese.

The Jets, of course, eventually landed on Bailey, taking the draft's perceived highest-floor edge rusher over Reese. The Buckeye linebacker was expected to be a bit more of a project, as an unpolished pass rusher and high-motor linebacker.

Through the first four games of the 2026 season, though, it seems Reese's immediate impact was undersold. On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the Giants linebacker was all over the field, recording nine tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass breakups, and an interception, playing a key role in Big Blue's 36-24 victory.

Bailey, on the other hand, may as well have been on the side of a milk carton against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The rookie pass rusher was nowhere to be seen, and Reese's dominant outing only exacerbated his silent afternoon.

David Bailey's struggles only make the New York Jets look worse

Bailey's rookie season started well enough, recording two sacks in the team's first two games. No Jets rookie had done that since Shaun Ellis in his debut 2000 season, but there were still reasons for concern.

The impact of the No. 2 overall pick just wasn't popping off the screen the way fans expected, and that has become even more glaringly obvious over the Jets' last few games.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt shared that Bailey currently ranks 90th among edges in pressure rate with at least 25 pass-rushing snaps through Weeks 2-4, boasting a pressure rate of 10.6%. It's not horrendous, but you expect more from the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

There's still time for Bailey to turn things around. It's only been four games, and yesterday in particular wasn't exactly the ideal game script for the young pass rusher to make an impact.

But with Reese leading the NFL in solo tackles, being one of only 12 non-defensive backs with four-plus pass breakups and one interception, it's hard not to think about what could have been if the Jets had opted for the Ohio State product as their first-round draft choice.

With Reese and Bailey both playing in the same city for the rest of their respective careers, expect the comparisons to only continue as the years go by.

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