While the matchups between quarterbacks and head coaches usually grace the most real estate on promotional posters ahead of each NFL game, it’s often the one-on-one matchups deep in the trenches that ultimately determine the outcome.
In Sunday’s New York Jets-Chicago Bears matchup, we will see a pivotal battle between two talented first-round picks, one that will likely determine the outcome of the game.
Take your eye off the ball and focus on the duel between Bears right tackle Darnell Wright and Jets edge rusher David Bailey.
Wright vs. Bailey will set the tone
Wright, 25, is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. A 2023 first-round pick out of Tennessee, Wright signed a four-year, $116 million contract extension in August, making him the league’s second-highest-paid offensive lineman on an annual basis ($29 million per year).
A second-team All-Pro in 2025, Wright is ascending to new heights in his fourth season. Three weeks into 2026, Wright is the NFL’s highest-graded offensive lineman in Pro Football Focus’ grading system, earning a 91.1 overall grade.
Wright is dominating in both phases for Chicago’s high-octane offense. In the run game, he leads all linemen with a 93.2 run-blocking grade, per PFF. As a result of his success, the Bears rely heavily on Wright to lead the way for their run game. Chicago ranks first in the NFL with 56 rush attempts to the right side, 15 more than any other team.
In pass protection, Wright has been a stalwart, allowing three total pressures on 123 pass-blocking snaps (2.4% pressure rate), including no sacks or hits.
The Jet defender who will be primarily responsible for trying to do damage against the league’s hottest offensive lineman? That would be the second overall pick in this year’s draft, Texas Tech product David Bailey.
Bailey has played 82% of his defensive snaps on the left side of the defensive line (across from the right tackle), so he will likely see Wright on most of his snaps in this game.
The rookie has been entrusted with a central role right off the bat. He leads all Jets defensive linemen with a 70.1% snap percentage. Not only that, but his role has included a wide array of responsibilities.
Bailey rotates between defensive end and outside linebacker, with occasional snaps at off-ball linebacker and even in the slot. The Jets also ask him to drop into coverage relatively frequently; he has played 15 coverage snaps through three games, including nine in last week’s loss to Detroit.
The 22-year-old’s first three NFL games have been a mixed bag.
On the positive side, Bailey has stood out as an all-around football player, finding numerous ways to impact games. He has been surprisingly solid against the run, is racking up plenty of “hustle pressures” using his motor and speed, has been a positive contributor in coverage, has drawn two holds, and has forced a fumble.
The concern, though, is that Bailey is off to a sluggish start as a pass rusher. His 4.5% pass-rush win rate ranks 66th out of 70 qualified edge defenders; he has only been credited with three pass-rush wins.
Bailey has logged plenty of pressures, no matter which statistical outlet you look at. However, many of those pressures (including both of his sacks) came from chasing the quarterback outside the pocket after he held the ball for a while and/or was forced out of it by someone else.
Those hustle pressures still have value, but it’s the quick, high-quality wins off the edge that separate the league’s most destructive game-wreckers. The Jets drafted Bailey with the No. 2 pick to rack those up, and we have rarely seen them so far.
Now, as he looks to build momentum in the pass-rush department, Bailey will run into perhaps the game’s best right tackle—on the road, no less, which is advantageous for the home team’s offensive line.
It’s a chance for Bailey to make a rousing statement about his development. It also could show us just how far he still has to go as a pass rusher.
If Bailey can enjoy his breakout game by negating one of Chicago’s most impactful offensive weapons in Wright, the Jets will be in a tremendous position to pull off the road victory. It doesn’t have to solely be in the pass game, either. Wright’s dominant run blocking is a pivotal cog in Chicago’s offense; the Bears run behind him to an incredible degree. So, Bailey has a chance to wreck Chicago’s game plan as a run defender, too.
But if the Jets’ most heavily utilized edge rusher is silenced by Wright, both in the pass and run games, New York will be hard-pressed to get the three-and-outs and takeaways they need to tilt the tide in their favor against a well-coached offensive team on the road.
