The Jets remain undeterred by David Bailey’s perceived weakness

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

That popular quote, incorrectly credited to Albert Einstein, can fit exactly what the Jets are walking into with the second-overall pick, David Bailey.

Taken as the top non-quarterback of his draft class after leading the country in sacks the year prior, Bailey’s athleticism, speed, and physicality make him an intriguing addition to the New York Jets and their much-maligned defense.

In 2025, the Jets ranked among the league’s worst in both sacks and pressure rate. Bailey should be an immediate upgrade in both facets.

There’s a problem, however…

As productive as Bailey was, a glaring hole in his game has many concerned about his long-term trajectory with the franchise. While his run defense may not be as bad as some pundits make it out to be, the Jets have remained steadfast when addressing those concerns.

Bailey’s run defense

The main issue with Bailey’s game is in run defense. Tape shows a player sometimes unwilling or unable to set the edge consistently enough to merit a “can’t miss” prospect label.

But those concerns have never been too much of a concern for the likes of Aaron Glenn.

“I never had an issue with his run game, you know, coming out of college,” Glenn said. “I know that’s the one thing that everyone has a knock on, and I think everyone tries to pick holes in every player that comes out, but I thought he was well-versed when it came to that.”

New York’s expected to run a versatile defense that plays to each player’s strengths. Free-agent signings like defensive tackle David Onyemata can help Bailey in his run defense from a schematic standpoint.

Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has also worked extensively with players in the mold of Bailey. Better yet, Bailey has already spoken positively about his new coach.

As the Texas Tech product walks into Florham Park with significant expectations, he understands the focus right now is on starting his career the correct way.

“I don’t really think about any specific accolades,” Bailey said. “My thing is to establish a consistent routine that will help me become a better football player.”

Jets’ focus

New York should not try to make Bailey into something he is not. While it’s foolish to compare him to the Hall-of-Fame credentials of Bruce Smith or Lawrence Taylor, the fact that Big Blue did not use him much in coverage shows a similar blueprint to what the Jets should follow.

Let Bailey get after the passer in droves; it will only make the defense better.

“He’s going to be one of the outside backers when it comes to a base defense, and then he will be a defensive end when it comes to four-down defense,” Glenn said. “And then there’s a number of things that we plan on doing to him when it comes to just sub-pass rush.”

With the Bailey excitement already showing in rookie minicamp, the Jets seem to be thrilled with the balance of speed and power he brings to the unit.

If the run defense can be improved on even a little bit, then the Jets will walk away knowing they have one of the best young defenders in the game on their roster.

Reporting from the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ.