Demario Davis says 1 Jets coach isn't going to let David Bailey be a 'one-way' player

The New York Jets made the decision to draft Texas Tech edge David Bailey on draft night over the likes of Ohio State's Arvell Reese, and it's a bit of a gamble.

Both player's had their pros and cons, but for Bailey, the concern about his game transitioning to the pros was his lackluster ability to defend the run.

Despite being college football's sack leader in 2025 (14.5), Bailey recorded a run-defense grade of 76.4, grading out as the 164th-best run defender among 852 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus.

Bailey will have to get better at defending the run if he wants to be a three-down player in the NFL, and one Jets veteran believes he'll be able to do it.

Demario Davis believes Karl Dunbar can develop David Bailey into a well-rounded player

The Jets' new (and old) leader of their defense, linebacker Demario Davis, spoke with reporters about Bailey's talent and upside.

He also made sure to shout out new Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, and believes he can get the most out of the Texas Tech standout.

"There's a reason why you're the No. 2 draft pick. He was the most dominant pass rusher in the draft and I think when you can get a guy like that and you're sound in other areas, it takes a lot of weight off of him where he can do what he does best, which is be able to get after the pass rush. Playing for a defensive line coach like Karl Dunbar, he's not going to accept you just being a one-way player."

Demario Davis

Dunbar, one of the most high-profile assistant coach hirings head coach Aaron Glenn made this past offseason, has a lengthy history of developing pass rushers.

The 59-year-old was with the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin from 2018 to 2025, and helped develop prominent edges like Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, who just inked a four-year $100 million extension after spending the first three years of his career under Dunbar's tutelage.

If Dunbar can do the same thing for Bailey, the 22-year-old draft pick is in good hands and so are the rest of the Jets' pass rushers, like Will McDonald and Joseph Ossai.

David has been around the league for quite some time and would surely know what a good defensive coach looks like.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow