David Bailey's 40-yard dash time sends an undeniable message to Jets

After the New York Jets traded Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans to acquire nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat, all signs point to GM Darren Mougey using the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on one of three elite pass rush prospects in Ohio State's Arvell Reese, Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., and Texas Tech's David Bailey.

Bailey has been a riser in the pre-draft process, as the athletic skills he could bring to the table as an outside speed rusher may be too good to pass up. The idea of Bailey leaving the top five picks seems very unlikely after he dominated the 2026 NFL Combine.

Bailey was timed with an unofficial 4.51 40-yard dash time, and he managed to nearly replicate that run with a 4.54 run in his second attempt. Bailey's 40-yard dash time, paired with a broad jump of almost 11 feet, helped him absolutely ace this very important trial.

Bailey sent Mougey and Aaron Glenn a message. Even though Reese has the potential to be an All-Pro, Bailey's athleticism is right there with his, thanks to some lightning-quick first steps and the speed needed to blow by professional tackles with ease.

David Bailey sends a message to Jets with 4.51 40-yard dash

Bailey, who played at Stanford for three seasons before transferring to Texas Tech, led a ferocious Red Raiders defense with 14.5 sacks last campaign. Of the big three pass rushers between himself, Bain, and Reese, Bailey might be the one with the highest upside as a pure pass rusher.

Bailey weighed in at a tick over 250 pounds, which puts him above Reese's 241-pound frame. With Bain coming in at 262, which is less than the 275 pounds Miami listed him at, to go along with more red flags about his lack of arm length, Bailey may have had the best day out of all three.

The only concern the Jets can hold over Bailey is his lack of elite run defense. The thought of pairing him with Will McDonald, the league's worst run defender, could nullify the advantage they got when they acquired Sweat. However, the pass rush upside is undeniable.

The Jets are far away from deciding on who is going to be the No. 2 pick in this class, but with Reese gaining so much momentum in the last few days, Bailey's speed reminded Glenn of the fact that he is right alongside the Ohio State star as far as elite edge rusher prospects go.