David Bailey, NFL Combine
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Texas Tech defender David Bailey running through a drill at the 2026 NFL Combine.
The New York Jets are calling an audible at the line of scrimmage.
NFL Insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed that the latest information he has is that the Jets will be taking Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round.
“Yeah, I actually talked to a couple of teams that almost talked like it was a fait accompli,” Breer told draft analyst Todd McShay on “The McShay Show.”
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fait accompli means “a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible.”
It is a French phrase that translates to “accomplished fact,” which can also mean a “done deal,” according to Quora.
Paul Andrew Esden Jr
The David Bailey buzz connecting him to the #Jets with the No. 2 overall pick is palpable. #NFL Insider @AlbertBreer told @McShay13, ‘yeah I actually talked to a couple of teams that almost talked like it was a fait accompli.’ @PSchrags & @MoveTheSticks have expressed similar
“The analytics-based ESPN draft predictor says [Ohio State’s Arvell] Reese is the prohibitive favorite, with better than a 70% chance of being picked by the Jets at No. 2. Bailey is second at 10%. The Predictor uses data from Scouts, Inc. grades, expert mock drafts, and team needs,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote on Sunday, April 5.
However, this latest buzz indicates there has been a recent shift.
Bailey Buzz Is Getting Palpable
Breer isn’t the only one smacking the Bailey drum; several other key plugged-in insiders have also championed those discussions this week.
On the “Schrager Hour” podcast, Peter Schrager of ESPN and Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network did an alternating first-round mock draft. During their conversation, they explained why Bailey looks like he is going to be the pick for the Jets.
“Bailey is a much more polished pass rusher, like he’s the more known commodity. Whereas with Reese, you’re playing the upside game and hoping what you’re going to get. It reminds me so much of the [Aidan] Hutchinson – Travon Walker debate. It was Hutch is the better pass rusher right now, and you had Travon Walker, who is this physical freak who is not there yet, but you’re hoping he is going to get there,” Jeremiah explained.
“Now, both of them have been really good pros. In that scenario, the better athlete, even though Hutch is a really good athlete, went ahead of the more polished player. That is why I was kind of leaning in that direction, but we were talking full disclosure before we launched here today, and we are kind of hearing the same thing. As we’re coming down the home stretch, here this feels more like Bailey. Bird in the hand pick versus the upside pick with Reese,” Jeremiah said.
Why Bailey Over Reese?
If this is the road the Jets are going to go down, why?
“You know, there is an interesting I would say a way to tie this to Aaron Glenn’s job security too, if you look at Arvell Reese is a little bit more of a project. He is going to be pretty good for you right away, but you may have to wait a year or two to get the best out of him. Versus, like David Bailey, is out of the box, going to be a really good pass rusher for you. I’m not saying Aaron Glenn is doing this to save his job, but you do naturally look at that, like we need somebody to help us now,” Breer explained on “The McShay Show.”
Bailey had 14.5 sacks this past season, which was tied for the most in all of college football, per ESPN.
Reese told people at the NFL Combine that he plans on being a pass rusher at the next level, but that isn’t what he was always asked to do at Ohio State.
“Only one season as a full-time starter (fewer than 1,000 career defensive snaps),” Dane Brugler wrote for “The Beast” via The Athletic.
One guy seems like a sure bet, and the other feels risky but offers tons of upside.