NFL teams are always thrilled to see their rookies making an impression in training camp.
That seems to be the case for the New York Jets and No. 2 overall pick David Bailey. The rookie edge rusher reportedly finished Thursday’s practice with three “sacks” while stealing the show in Florham Park on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters following practice, head coach Aaron Glenn emphasized how pleased he’s been with Bailey thus far.
“Yeah, he’s everything that we expect him to be, and it’ll be really exciting once we get the pads on,” said Glenn. “I think we all understand that through these acclimation days, we’re still in shorts, but just to be able to see the energy and the speed and the quickness off the edge, and the ability to hold a strong edge and the way that he wants to play the run game, it’s everything that I imagined from that player.”
While padless training camp stats aren’t the end-all, be-all of a No. 2 overall pick, it’s certainly encouraging to see Bailey making a difference right away.
Bailey’s pass-rushing skills are evident, having led the FBS in both pressures and sacks in 2025. The bigger question is his run-defending ability.
It’s tough to evaluate throughout training camp, but it will be intriguing to see how his run-defense looks throughout the preseason after a summer with one of the league’s best defensive line coaches, Karl Dunbar.
Bailey’s role this season will largely hinge on how well he can defend the run. Not all elite pass rushers in the league are incredible run defenders, but most of them aren’t full-blown liabilities in that area.
If he can improve there, Bailey has the potential to be an every-down player right away for Gang Green. If he can’t, though, it’s likely he takes on more of a limited role as a pass-rush specialist in his rookie season.
Nonetheless, seeing the Texas Tech product dominating early on in training camp is encouraging.
