Jets still waiting for David Bailey’s pass-rushing potential to take off
New York Jets rookie defensive end David Bailey, the second overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, has yet to deliver the dominant pass-rushing impact expected from his standout college career. After two sacks in his first two games—both resulting from quarterback scrambles rather than clean hits—Bailey has failed to register a sack since Week 2.
Despite leading all rookies with 11 quarterback pressures, his production has been inconsistent, including a near-silent outing in Chicago where he managed just one pressure. The 23-year-old, who co-led FBS with 14.5 sacks at Texas Tech last season, has struggled with limited help from a defensive line that has underperformed, with no Jets lineman recording a sack in the past two weeks and the team ranking third-lowest in pressure rate (27.1%) over the same span.
Bailey has also been frequently chipped or double-teamed, limiting his effectiveness despite his clear talent and adaptability to the NFL’s higher level of competition.
