David Bailey clearing this hurdle could be a game-changer for Jets

The New York Jets' decision to take David Bailey with the second overall pick shows they believe he can be an elite player in the NFL. Many draft experts also believed he was the most pro-ready edge rusher in this class, which is what the Jets hope for.

Rookies typically have to get used to playing in the NFL, especially due to the talent, speed, and strength differences. With training camp set to begin next month, pads will come on, and the intensity level will go up. That will be especially important for offensive and defensive linemen, as it's hard to fully evaluate them without pads.

ESPN's Rich Cimini gave some insight into how Bailey has looked thus far, and the early reports are positive.

"Bailey's first-step quickness jumps out even to the casual observer. He still needs to work on his run defense and learn how to win with power in his pass rush, but he will have a major role. "He's meant to be an edge rusher," LT Olu Fashanu said."

Since he's already impressed, if Bailey can consistently generate pressure against Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, he'll clear a major hurdle ahead of his rookie season.

David Bailey passing this training camp test would be huge for Jets

Membou came out in 2025 and was fantastic from day 1. He started in all 17 games and was one of the better offensive linemen in the league. On Pro Football Focus, Membou had a 72.7 overall grade, 73.8 pass-blocking grade, and a 72.1 run-blocking grade.

He finished his rookie campaign as one of just 10 tackles in the NFL to play 1,000-plus snaps and earn a 70.0-plus overall grade on PFF. He was a mauler in the run game and was nimble as a pass blocker.

Meanwhile, Fashanu had another solid campaign where he was effective as a pass blocker, which is his strength. We know the cliché saying iron sharpens iron, but in this situation, it's the truth. There won't be any easy practices for Bailey this summer, as he'll be either going up against Membou or Fashanu.

Both guys will have the edge on him, especially Membou, who has the speed and power to slow him down. What Bailey does against those two guys will be telling.

If he can consistently get past them and create pressure in the backfield, that will be an amazing sign. It will show that he has several counters and plans to get past offensive linemen, which is one reason why they selected him with the second pick.

His first step, along with his speed and length, are strengths that will work in his favor. Last season at Texas Tech, Bailey was highly effective, logging 52 total tackles while leading the nation in TFLs (19.5) and sacks (14.5). When New York watched the tape on him, they saw the impact he could bring and hoped that translates to the league.

Training camp will be a huge test for Bailey, and if he can get past the combo Membou/Fashanu with regularity, it'll give fans even more confidence in him going into the 2026 campaign. And the staff will feel that much better about their young edge rusher.

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