Gang Green added an explosive pass rusher with its first pick on Thursday night to give Aaron Glenn's defense a needed pop.
The New York Jets selected Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
An uber-explosive blur and the top sack artist in the draft, Bailey immediately upgrades an area of need for a Jets defense that struggled to generate consistent pressure in 2025.
Following three seasons at Stanford, Bailey transferred to Texas Tech in 2025 and exploded. He generated 14.5 sacks (tied for most in the FBS) with a 21.3% pressure rate. He added 19.5 tackles for loss and 81 QB pressures. He was a unanimous first-team All-American, the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and a finalist for the Lombardi Award.
A twitched-up athlete, Bailey blasts to the quarterback with jet-fueled propulsion. An explosive first step allows him to play behind the line of scrimmage, and long strides quickly negate blockers' cushion. Winning the first step off the snap is his superpower, and he flies off the edge with ferocity and bad intentions. The quick get-off allows him to get linemen off balance, and he can use a rip move to create a clear path to the quarterback.
Bailey's speed is a game-changer, and he boasts the ability to chase down plays from the backside. Able to play in a two-point or four-point stance, he must improve converting that speed to power, but can play through blockers to get to his intended target.
While his burst allows him to play the run in the backfield and eat up negative plays, the 22-year-old must improve his anchoring against the run and play strength at the point of attack, or teams will run right at him. At times, he also gets latched on by blockers and needs to upgrade his counter moves in the NFL.
An eruption off the edge, Bailey is a disruptive pass rusher who can play in the backfield and flies to the football. With just one full season as a starter, the athletic specimen still has room to grow.
The Jets spent the offseason remaking Glenn's defense, which generated just 26 sacks and famously recorded zero interceptions, with productive veterans. Bailey becomes the crown jewel and a much-needed edge presence who can win one-on-ones and tilt the field.
2023 first-round pick Will McDonald IV led the Jets with eight sacks last season. No other Gang Green defender reached the five-sack mark. With their choice of defenders or receivers with the No. 2 pick, New York opted for the draft's most explosive and proven pass rusher in a pivotal season for Glenn.
After shipping Jermaine Johnson II to Tennessee for behemoth T'Vondre Sweat, adding David Onyemata in the middle and Joseph Ossai on the outside, the New York defensive front needed a force to bring it all together. They landed that man in Bailey.
