Micah Parsons believes Jets made the right pick with David Bailey selection

Now that the dust has settled on the 2026 NFL Draft, many New York Jets feel much better about Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn deciding to use the No. 2 overall pick on Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey instead of Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.

Green Bay Packers All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons is among those who believe that Bailey was clearly the right choice, as he is of the mindset that messing around with someone who needs a position change is too grave an undertaking for a team that needs to nail their No. 2 pick.

On Bleacher Report's live NFL Draft show, Parsons declared that he had Bailey ranked second on his Big Board, while Reese clocked in ninth. Parsons also believes that Bailey provided the Jets with better positional value than an unknown project like Reese would have.

Parsons said that there's no way to justify taking an off-ball linebacker with minimal pass rush snaps and a need to change his position at No. 2 overall. Even after looking at Reese's sky-high ceiling, Mougey and Glenn seem to have arrived at the same conclusion as Parsons.

Micah Parsons believes Jets made right choice with David Bailey over Arvell Reese

The Giants may have shown why the Jets passed on Reese. After announcing that he will play inside linebacker next to Tremaine Edmunds, his mini-slide becomes clearer. There's a good chance that the NFL simply saw Reese as a linebacker and not an edge. Why else would teams like the Cardinals and Titans pass on Reese?

Much like how Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs were not considered viable No. 2 pick candidates due to their positions, off-ball linebackers don't come off the board at No. 2 overall. The Reese vs. Bailey debate may have been pointless, as only Bailey made sense for the Jets.

Even though Reese can set the edge on the outside, Bailey is the superior pass rusher. Given Bailey's quick first step and prolific college production, the Jets should expect him to hit the ground running and immediately give this defense the new life that it so desperately needs.

If Parsons proves to have a keen scouting eye, and if Bailey manages to get better at defending the run, Mougey could make all the fans who were begging for Reese start to eat their words when the Red Raiders' dynamo starts making life hell for opposing quarterbacks.

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