David Bailey silences the doubters in dominant 3-sack outing vs. Browns

Over the last few weeks, there was no New York Jets player who had the microscope on them like rookie edge David Bailey. It wasn't due to the fact he was playing horrendously; Bailey had some major bright spots in his game, but his ability as a high-end pass rusher was being called into question.

Coming out of Texas Tech, Bailey was deemed the 2026 draft class's best pass rusher. Despite recording two sacks in his first two games, it had been a quiet two outings against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears in Weeks 3 and 4.

In Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns, Bailey established himself as a player worthy of the No. 2 overall pick. With a game script working in his favor, the rookie recorded three sacks on Deshaun Watson and was in the backfield all day.

It's safe to say you won't be hearing much chatter this week about Bailey lack of impact, because his presence was hard to miss on Sunday in the Jets' 17-12 victory at MetLife Stadium.

David Bailey shines in New York Jets Week 5 victory over Browns

While some fans may have been surprised by the Bailey breakout performance, his head coach was not, and Aaron Glenn told reporters after the game that he knew a day like today was coming for the rookie.

"His time was gonna come. I have all the confidence in him in the world, and he did a good job today. There's some things he's gotta work on, but for him to come out and get (three sacks)... that's who David is."

While Glenn may have had faith in his first-round draft pick, it's safe to say the fan base was less than confident in their young pass rusher after the last two weeks. After Sunday, there won't be much to second-guess.

If Bailey can keep outings like this up for the rest of the year, there's no doubt he could be in Defensive Rookie of the Year conversations.

David Bailey's dominance up there with the best rookie outings of all time

Per Next Gen Stats, Bailey recorded nine pressures against the Browns on Sunday, tying Jared Verse's record for most by a rookie dating back to Week 7 of the 2024 season. Verse went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

It was even a day to remember in franchise history, as Bailey's three sacks were the most by a Jets rookie in a single game since Hugh Douglas had three himself in 1995.

Bailey is now up to five sacks in the first five games of the season and is really starting to come into his own as a professional pass rusher.

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