The New England Patriots are set to take on a New York Jets team that is underrated on the defensive side of the ball. For this week's Gimme Him, we're going to spotlight rookie edge rusher David Bailey, who would be my choice to join the Patriots.
Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, had a lot of hype surrounding him coming out of Texas Tech. So far, he has more than lived up to those expectations with 24 total tackles, five sacks, seven quarterback hits and a forced fumble through five games.
Bailey's dominant performance against the Cleveland Browns last week is a perfect example of how quickly he can take over a game. He had seven total tackles, three sacks, four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. His immediate NFL success follows a college season where he had 14.5 sacks in 2025.
Bailey is a game-wrecker on defense, and although the Patriots have overachieved on the edge, they could use a player of that caliber in their rotation, especially with Harold Landry III still sidelined with a knee injury.
The Patriots have a promising edge player in rookie Gabe Jacas, and second-year defender Elijah Ponder is in the middle of a breakout season. Adding Bailey to that mix, which also includes veteran Dre'Mont Jones, would put every opposing NFL offense on notice.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, they'll spend Sunday's game trying to keep quarterback Drake Maye protected from Bailey, who will be looking to spoil the Patriots' hopes for three straight wins.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Gimme Him: David Bailey would heat up Patriots' edge rush