Live 2026 NFL Draft Grades: Jets select EDGE David Bailey
We give you live grades for all 32 picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft so keep checking back.
The New York Jets defense was among the worst in the NFL in splash plays last season. You knew that despite their issues on offense their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft would be to add a playmaker on defense. This is exactly what they did when the chose Texas Tech Edge defender David Bailey with the No.
2 overall pick. Bailey is a wrecking machine off the edge. He's incredibly productive, was a clear leader on a very talented defense and is going to brig that level of production and athleticism to a defensive line that desperately needs him.
As a team, the Jets only had 26 sacks all of last season. For the Jets, Bailey represents not a player who can be a leader on this defense now, but he is going to make a secondary that was incapable of getting turnovers much better. His natural bend and burst is as good as it gets in this draft and was our highest-rated defensive player for nearly the entire offseason.
Grade: A This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Live 2026 NFL Draft Grades: Jets select EDGE David Bailey