College coach has strong take about Jets drafting David Bailey over Arvell Reese

Whether the New York Jets should select Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey or Ohio State pass-rusher Arvell Reese with the second overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft generated all kinds of debates and discussions until the Jets took Bailey. 

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn later said he felt Bailey was a better "fit" for the club. During a recent chat with Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood insisted that Glenn and Co. made the right decision. 

David Bailey only scratched the surface before being drafted by Jets? 

"David's really good right now, but I still think that he's only scratching the surface of what he's going to become," Wood explained. "Part of that's just from the transitional standpoint in terms of what he did at Stanford and then what he did with us at Texas Tech. He became an every-down defensive end that rushed the passer and played the run on the line of scrimmage every snap. That's just totally different than what he was used to doing at Stanford. So I think he grew a lot during that time with us last year."

The decision made by those running the Jets on April 23 could hover over the franchise for years to come, either for good or bad reasons. The New York Giants drafted Reese at pick No. 5, and that could prove to sting a little extra for Jets fans if he becomes better than Bailey as a pro. 

Earlier this spring, Dane Brugler of The Athletic listed Reese as the top overall prospect in this year's class.

Are concerns about David Bailey's skills as a run defender overblown?

Before the draft, Connor Hughes of SNY spoke with "multiple defensive coaches who scouted [Bailey] extensively" and mentioned that Bailey "does not play the run." Wood suggested that Bailey's past performances indicate he will improve upon that aspect of his game with more experience. 

"Early on, maybe at times, he got knocked off the ball sometimes a little bit on a double team or something like that," Wood added during his comments about Bailey. "As you work through the season, you see his development in the run game. He was able to hold the point on the line of scrimmage against double teams. Towards the latter part, I think he really started to kind of come into his own in that regard. We were the number one rushing defense in the country last year, and he played defensive end for us to the wide side of the field, virtually every snap, on all downs. He was a big part of our success in the run game. I think that's something that he's just going to continue to get better at the more he does it."

As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Bailey and Rueben Bain Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied as the betting favorites at +500 odds to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. If Bailey meets such expectations, the Jets will feel great about having him on the roster at this time next year.