David Bailey facing All-Pro measuring stick in Jets-Buccaneers joint practices

The New York Jets will be receiving their first taste of on-field action that isn't an intrasquad scrimmage this week when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in back-to-back joint practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.

New York's first-team offense and defense will be facing a squad that was knocking on the doorstep of the playoffs last season, a benchmark that the Jets would love to hit in 2026.

There will be plenty of individual matchups for Jets fans to watch as they seek to get a gauge of where their own guys are at, but one sticks out as a real treat.

No. 2 overall pick David Bailey, who has really been impressing so far throughout the early portion of training camp, will be facing an All-Pro challenge in Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs. It will be his first major test facing an uber-talented tackle not named Armand Membou.

New York Jets rookie David Bailey facing first major test at Tampa Bay Buccaneers joint practice

It should be noted that Bailey reportedly tweaked his ankle at practice on Saturday, but head coach Aaron Glenn assured reporters that it's nothing serious. Hopefully, he doesn't miss any time in practice this week against Tampa Bay.

Bailey will get valuable experience trying to get after opposing quarterbacks this week. Wirfs is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, offensive tackles in the NFL right now, and his accolades back it up.

With just six years of NFL experience under his belt, Wirfs is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, and graded out as Pro Football Focus' second-best tackle last season among 89 qualified players.

If Bailey is able to record even a handful of highlight plays against him during live scrimmages, that will be a major green flag that his transition to the NFL is headed in the right direction.

Even Luke Goedeke, Tampa Bay's right tackle, is no slouch. PFF graded him as the 23rd-best tackle in the league last season and should provide a challenge for any Jet rushing against him.

Not only will Bailey get some good practice, but Will McDonald will surely get some run as well. Joseph Ossai is currently still on the PUP, and it's unclear if he'll suit up for practice this week.

Regardless, Jets fans should keep their notifications turned on for reporters on the scene in Florham Park on Tuesday and Wednesday. The battles between Jets pass rushers and Bucs' offensive linemen will be telling of where each team stands with roughly a month to go before the regular season.

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