Jets-Giants preseason clash will be first chapter of David Bailey-Arvell Reese rivalry

Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Jets essentially owned the draft board. Everyone and their mother knew the Las Vegas Raiders would be selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and the Jets would kick off the real intrigue with the No. 2 overall pick.

Texas Tech's David Bailey? Or Ohio State's Arvell Reese? That was the question every Jets fan and draft analyst wondered throughout the pre-draft process. Would New York opt for Bailey's perceived high floor, or aim sky-high for the unlimited potential of the 20-year-old Reese?

Of course, the Jets did eventually decide on Bailey, and the rest is history. Reese would end up getting picked up just three spots later, falling right into the lap of the New York Giants. For the rest of these two young hopeful stars' careers, they're likely to be compared to one another thanks to that fateful draft day decision and the fact that they're playing in the same city.

Chapter 1 of that narrative will begin on Friday night, when the Jets take on the Giants at their shared home field of MetLife Stadium in each team's preseason finale. We'll see how much each first-round draft pick plays for their respective teams, and what impact they'll bring on the field.

Aaron Glenn on the New York Jets' David Bailey-Arvell Reese decision

After Jets practice on Monday, head coach Aaron Glenn was asked about his team's decision to opt for Bailey over Reese this past April, and in classic coach-speak fashion, Glenn said as little as possible while also praising both youngsters.

"Listen, we have our process, and those are two really, really good players. They're going to be really good players in this league. So, (we wanted) to make sure we make the best decision for us going forward, and we felt like Bailey was the best decision. Listen, Arvell is a special, special player. He's going to do special things in this league....We like the direction that we went, and Bailey is going to be a good player for us."

As the two consensus best defensive players in their draft class, Bailey and Reese were always going to be compared throughout their respective careers. The fact that they're each in New York is just going to kick it up another notch.

The burden will fall on the Jets if Reese ends up being a better overall player, though, considering they made the choice to put Bailey in the Green & White over Reese.

Maybe Bailey can get an early head start in the preseason finale by harassing Giants quarterbacks, the same way he terrorized the Buccaneers and Steelers over the last few weeks.

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