David Bailey receives high praise in dominant outing at Jets-Buccaneers joint practice

The New York Jets wrapped up their first of two joint practices against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, and there are several things to take away from the intrasquad clashes.

For starters, it was a rough day for Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who looked his age against a relatively weak Buccaneers secondary. We'll see if he can bounce back during Wednesday's practice.

There were also several scuffles between New York and Tampa Bay, as both teams seemed excited to put pads on and hit someone who wasn't their own teammate. There were at least three different scraps, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.

David Bailey, the Jets' No. 2 overall pick in this past April's draft, got into a tiff with Bucs' right tackle Luke Goedeke, per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. The veteran lineman seemed to be getting a bit frustrated with how destructive a force Bailey was throughout practice.

New York Jets rookie David Bailey receives high praise for joint practice outing

Bailey, according to reporters on the scene, was dominant on Tuesday. Despite not having the chance to face off against Tampa Bay's All-Pro left tackle, Tristan Wirfs, the former Texas Tech standout did his job and beat the guy in front of him.

With players like Garrett Wilson, Armand Membou, Emeka Egbuka, and Antonie Winfield on the practice field in Florham Park, Jets analyst Will Parkinson said Bailey "might've been the best player" between both teams on Tuesday.

Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, Bailey was tabbed as a high-floor, win-now player, and he certainly seems to be living up to those expectations early on in training camp.

Without ever even taking a snap of a regular season game, he's earning praise you would hear for a player who is a seasoned veteran.

New York Jets LB Demario Davis praises David Bailey's development

Don't take it from just reporters. Veteran linebacker Demario Davis, who has seen a lot of players come and go throughout his 14-year career in the NFL, heaped high praise on Bailey for his performance throughout camp.

"He looks like a No. 2 pick. He looks like everything that's been advertised or more about him. I think his instincts of not only rushing the quarterback, but just getting to the football in general, the way that he plays the run with savviness, and I think he already has a lot of elements of a pro."

The most exciting part about all this is it's only the beginning for Bailey. His NFL career is just getting underway, and he's already showing the chops that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

Imagine what he'll be like a few years from now, with experience under his belt? The Jets may just have themselves a star in their hands.

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