Jets improve on major weakness with No. 2 overall pick Edge David Bailey  

In a move of necessity, the New York Jets selected linebacker David Bailey with the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Adding a dynamic pass rusher like Bailey instantly improves a position of weakness for a Jets franchise that's coming off a miserable 3-14 season. 

Bailey took his game to another level during his long season at Texas Tech. He helped lead the Red Raiders to the Big 12 Conference championship, recording college career-highs across the board. 

David Bailey really stepped up his game as a senior at Texas Tech 

As a senior, Bailey made 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for a loss and 14.5 sacks, all big jumps from what he produced in his prior three college seasons at Stanford. 

With the Cardinal, which included two year as part of the old Pac-12 and one in the ACC, Bailey registered 111 combined tackles across three seasons and 14.5 sacks, the same amount he put up in one year in the Big 12 with the Red Raiders. 

Bailey is exactly what the Jets were missing in 2025 

Bailey's ascension came at the same time the Jets' defense plummeted to the bottom of the NFL with only 26 sacks as a unit, with Will McDonald IV leading the team with eight. So after taking offensive linemen in each of the previous two seasons, the Jets decided to focus on the other side of the ball and build a team more in line with head coach Aaron Glenn's vision. 

But the Jets have a long to go beyond just bringing in a top-tier pass rusher. New York's last winning season came back in 2015 when they went 10-6 under current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.