The first of two joint practices between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers is underway in Florham Park, N.J., and it’s been an eventful one, featuring at least three melees.
Second-overall pick David Bailey suited up for New York after a minor ankle injury in the Jets’ latest practice, and he wasted no time making his presence felt, exchanging swings with Tampa Bay’s offensive line in the first of those brawls.
Jets fans are probably excited about the tenacity, but more importantly, Bailey has been dominant in both individual and team drills.
Reporters on the scene have described Bailey winning “pretty much every play” against Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke.
Why should Jets fans be ecstatic about this news?
Well, Goedeke is about as good a measuring stick as Bailey could have asked for in his first NFL action against a non-teammate.
Goedeke, 27, is one of the premier pass-blocking right tackles in the league. In 2025, the former second-round pick allowed zero sacks and zero quarterback hits across 11 starts. Pro Football Focus scored him with a pass-blocking grade of 78.9, which ranked third-best among right tackles, trailing only superstars Penei Sewell (80.3) and Lane Johnson (80.4).
Bailey has been the star of Jets camp so far, generating daily headlines for his explosiveness off the edge. Considering that he has been going up against a solid tackle duo in Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu, his performances have already been considered valid.
Now that he’s translating that success against a proven high-level pass protector from another team, Bailey’s superstar trajectory is only getting realer by the day.
