David Bailey's DROY Case Is Undeniable (Here's How the Jets' Rookie Can Pull Away in the Race)

As the Jets prepare for their first AFC East opponent of the season, when they face the Patriots on Sunday, all eyes will be on Gang Green to see if they can end a pitiful trend against divisional competition amid a combined 25-65 record dating back to 2011.

To pull off the upset, New York's defense will have a huge say in that, after being the most dominant unit on the field in the 17-12 win over the Browns last Sunday. The Jets combined for eight sacks and clearly went into the game with the intention of loading the box and creating constant pressure on Deshaun Watson, a decision that proved to be the right call by head coach Aaron Glenn.

Someone who was instrumental in that success was rookie EDGE David Bailey, going off for three sacks, seven tackles (five solo), three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits. That performance led to him earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and well-deserved recognition.

That said, he still has a lot to prove if he truly wants to live up to the No. 2 draft pick.

It was a relatively slow start for Bailey, but he continues to build his Defensive Rookie of the Year case with each passing week, and his breakout against the Browns was a key first step toward winning that award by season's end. His stock is already skyrocketing as New York's best pass rusher, and his Week 5 performance was his first real reminder why.

David Bailey deserves to be the DROY frontrunner

Bailey has made it clear that he is still adjusting to his role in the NFL, as he has had to adjust to no longer being an every-down pass rusher like he was accustomed to at Texas Tech. While his run defense was an area he needed to improve, Bailey has made strides in that area and has continued to dominate the pass rush (h/t NFL) after leading college football in sacks last season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bailey has the 43rd-ranked overall grade (68.6) and the 10th-most pressures (20) out of 106 qualified edge defenders in the league. His pass-rush grade (59.5) is 69th, but most impressively, his run-defense grade (76.1) is 16th for a player who has been a pleasant surprise in that particular area. In fact, that grade is even higher than fifth overall pick Arvell Reese (74.0), who was already expected to become a three-down defender for the Giants.

So far, Bailey is averaging four pressures per game, putting him on pace for 68—including a season-high nine vs. the Browns. For reference, he finished with 39 or fewer in each of his three years at Stanford before racking up 81 in his lone campaign at Texas Tech.

There is no doubt that Bailey has been the best rookie on this Jets team so far, and he appears to only be getting started with his high motor and explosiveness off the snap that make him so hard to defend.

Looking at the upcoming schedule, everything is in front of Bailey to compete for the DROY award, especially as certain sportsbooks are beginning to favor him over the likes of fellow defenders Reese and Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

How David Bailey can pull away in the DROY race

As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook lists Bailey as the current favorite to be named DROY (+200) over Reese (+300) and Rodriguez (+350). With Commanders LB Sonny Styles (+1000) the only other player with odds better than +2000, it looks like a three-man race unless something changes between now and January.

While Rodriguez (57) and Reese (43) have more total tackles than Bailey (25) so far, they have only one sack combined. Granted, they both have an interception through the first five games as well, but neither has had the same overall impact in pass rush as Bailey has up to this point.

Look no further than Sunday's road trip to Gillette Stadium for Bailey's next opportunity to improve his case for the DROY award. The Patriots are banged up on the offensive line, including the questionable status of starting left tackle Will Campbell (right knee). Combine that with QB Drake Maye's turnover-prone start to the 2026 season, and there is every reason to believe that Bailey can be just as impactful again this weekend.

After that, the Jets return home for two games against the winless Dolphins and the surprising Raiders. Both QBs—Malik Willis and Kirk Cousins—have combined for eight interceptions and have been sacked 22 times. In other words, Bailey has an opportunity to cement his frontrunner status in the next three games before a two-game stretch against the Chiefs and Bills ensues.

Bailey made a strong statement against the Browns and showed that the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award starts and stops with him. If he keeps performing at (or even improves on) his current level and makes a major impact on the field, Bailey could pull away in this race and prove the Jets made the right decision when they selected him second overall in April.

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