Job's Not Over: David Bailey Still Has Plenty to Prove to Jets Despite Winning AFC Defensive Player of the Week

It's good to be David Bailey right now.

The Jets' second-overall pick in the 2026 draft has been highly productive through his first five games, becoming just the third rookie since 2000 to accomplish that feat. He was aided by a three-sack effort in Gang Green's 17-12 win over the Browns last week, as well as a season-high nine pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bailey was the best player on the field in that game, resulting in him being awarded major NFL honors: AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Not Defensive Rookie of the Week. Player. Bailey was that good on Sunday.

But as the Texas Tech product moves forward beyond his breakout game, the Jets know that one game does not make or break a prospect, meaning Bailey still has plenty more to prove.

Jets are ready for David Bailey's next level

Transcendent draft picks often get misassociated with great ones. Myles Garrett was a transcendent talent. Aidan Hutchinson was a great one. Bailey's moniker falls somewhere in the middle between what Garrett was and what Hutchinson became when they were both drafted.

But through sheer production, his motor, and willingness to improve, the Jets have known for a while now how special Bailey can be for their team.

"(Bailey is) everything you'd want in an edge," Jets cornerback AZ Thomas said on Monday. "We can go into stats and stuff like that, but I mean, like he's a rookie, and it's going to be a learning curve just like I had last year. … David Bailey is David Bailey, and he put that on display last night (h/t NFL). I just look forward to seeing more of that."

That's the ticket going forward. More. New York wants to see more from Bailey.

Fellow teammate Will McDonald IV is a good example of a player who can get to the quarterback in bunches. He has the talent of a first-round pick. Yet he is too inconsistent as a pass rusher to be trusted the way the Jets want to trust Bailey.

Already they are seeing that trust pays off.

Improving where it counts

Bailey's motor and pass-rushing skills are apparent. But another factor that has made him an everydown player is the one skill that was considered a detriment to him coming out of the draft: defending the run.

"The other things that really showed up in the game was (David's) ability to play the run," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said of Bailey's performance. "He just had an all-around game as far as affecting the quarterback and playing the run."

Before the draft, the big weakness to Bailey's game was his inconsistencies against the run. Teams were worried that he wouldn't be able to become the three down player that someone like Arvell Reese could be.

Through five games, though, Bailey's run defense has been the best part of his game. Pro Football Focus grades him as the 16th-best run defender of all edge rushers. His grade (76.1) is also two points higher than Reese's (74.0) so far in that category.

Winning defensive player of the week is certainly an achievement to celebrate, especially for a rookie making just his fifth start. His latest effort has made him DraftKings Sportsbook's current +200 favorite to be named the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year, but the mark of a special player is performing at a high level each and every week.

Garrett, Hutchinson, and T.J. Watt are all great examples of that. If Bailey wants his name to be thrown into the groups of the elite, he'll need to show that last week's performance against the Browns was not a mirage.

It was a sign of things to come.

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