Jets' reason for picking David Bailey over Arvell Reese is completely backwards

The New York Jets find themselves in the middle of quite a difficult quandary as they try to decide between Texas Tech's David Bailey and Ohio State's Arvell Reese with the No. 2 overall pick, as they are debating the more finished product in Bailey vs. the upside pick in Reese.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer believes that part of the reason Bailey could end up being the top pick at No. 2 overall is the idea that his experience and more concrete game could be more appealing to a Jets coaching staff on the hot seat than a more of a projection player like Reese.

"It does mean they need to create light at the end of the tunnel," Breer said. "They need that for the owner, and to give the locker room reason to keep grinding along...Bailey is the guy who’ll help now...That explains why so many NFL folks see this one coming down the tracks and why it would make so much sense for the Jets."

It's not the end of the world to draft for immediate need and performance over long-term potential later in the Draft, but doing so with the No. 2 overall pick when deciding between two players at the exact same position may end up hurting the Jets in the future.

SI thinks Jets may like David Bailey over Arvell Reese due to fit for 2026

It is true that the Jets would essentially need to switch Reese's position on the fly if they take him at No. 2 overall, and it's equally true that New York moving to more of a 3-4 scheme could provide Bailey with a perfect role to use his pass rush gifts off the edge.

However, passing on someone with the potential to be an All-Pro like Reese to select someone who is still not a locked-in sure thing like Bailey may come back to bite the Jets. It would be a penny-smart, dollar-foolish short-term move.

There are reasons to argue Bailey is the better pick than Reese, as he has proven to be an explosive pass rusher off the edge with tremendous violence at the point of attack and years of consistent production forecasting success in the pros. Picking him based on his 2026 and 2027 production, however, may be very short-sighted.

While both Bailey and Reese will likely be excellent players in the pros, the Jets need to pick based on their fit with this team in the future, not just 2026.

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