David Bailey is on a Hall of Fame trajectory after dominant return vs. Chiefs

It was bad on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs did whatever they wanted to against the New York Jets en route to a 35-12 blowout. The offense still can't seem to function whenever they cross into their opponent's territory, and the defense can't stop a nosebleed.

But hey, David Bailey looked awesome in his first game back from injury. We're leaving here with something. The No. 2 overall pick, who was out with a groin in Week 8, made his triumphant return against Kansas City, and man, does the Jets' pass rush look different when he's in the lineup.

Bailey tied for a team-high nine tackles, including two sacks, three tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits. The former Texas Tech standout even managed to force two fumbles on the same drive.

It's not hyperbole to say that Bailey is currently on a Hall of Fame trajectory. What he has been able to accomplish so far this year is something the league hasn't seen since Julius Peppers' rookie season.

David Bailey's Julius Peppers-esque production

Through Bailey's first eight games, he's racked up 7.5 career sacks. That's the most by any rookie edge rusher since Hall of Famer Julius Peppers, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. The Carolina Panthers legend had nine sacks in his first eight games.

Despite some early concerns that Bailey wasn't making a big enough impact as the highest-drafted defender in franchise history, the 23-year-old has truly started to come into his own following his breakout three-sack outing in Week 5.

For a team that is desperately searching for bright spots in another lost season, Bailey is certainly a shining light in New York, and a player that fans should keep tuning in for on a week-by-week basis.

David Bailey is the New York Jets' best defender

The Jets' pass rush was night and day compared to what we saw last week against the Raiders, and it's hard not to chalk that up to Bailey being back on the field.

Patrick Mahomes had to account for the Jets rookie all day, as he recorded six pressures by himself in the first half, and also managed to become the first defender in the last 10 years to record two sacks and two forced fumbles on the same drive.

That's just absurd stuff from Bailey, and hopefully, he is only just beginning to scratch the surface of what he's capable of as an NFL player.

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