Jets Expressing Optimism Around David Bailey's Biggest Weakness

There were many elite defensive prospects who came out of the 2026 NFL Draft. Chief among them was Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.

A country-leading 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, and an All-American finish to boot, Bailey was the top pass rusher across the college game. He was more than worthy of being the second overall selection by the New York Jets.

But like every other elite college defender, Bailey comes to the NFL with plenty of baggage.

For him, it's his questionable run defense. Pro Football Focus graded Bailey's 2025 season against the run at 76.4 - 164th among other edge rushers. It wasn't bad, but certainly not the kind of finish people expect from a transcendent star.

Despite the perceived struggles, the Jets aren't worried about Bailey's run defense. At all.

Jets have clear plan for David Bailey improving against the run

Whether it was defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, or head coach Aaron Glenn, the Jets' singular message about Bailey's play has been consistent: They believe they can teach him to be great run defender.

Despite the quiet start to OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Bailey is doing all the team needs of him to this point.

"I think David has grown quite a bit," Glenn said. "Obviously, the thing that I think we all know that stands out is his first-step quickness and his ability to rush the passer. Obviously, we don't have pads on so the physical part of it we just couldn't see."

As Glenn mentioned, the Jets are not going to christen any player with a superstar expectation simply during offseason workouts. Without pads on, it's hard to tell how good an edge rusher can be—especially one with the mix of live-game agility and power that Bailey plays with.

" I have no worries about anything else about his weaknesses because I know he's going to work his (expletive) off to be able to get better at those things," Glenn said.

The team's reason for a lack of concern with Bailey stems the belief in their development program to begin with. Dunbar, as a top defensive line coach, has experience in getting the most out of young talents. Also because of what Bailey was asked, and not asked to do in the college game, it's hard to fault him.

"There are a lot of guys who weren't asked to play the run," Dunbar said. "We're teaching him how to play the run because you got to earn the right to rush the passer. If you don't stop the run, they are not going to throw the ball, so we're going to teach him and everybody else."

By being the second overall pick, expectations for Bailey couldn't be higher. He needs to prove he can not only defend the run, but produce at the kind of rate at getting to the quarterback that few in the league have shown.

And if top defensive coaches like Dunbar and Glenn aren't concerned, the Jets might end up being perfectly situated for a strong season from their top rookie.