The New York Jets are banking on a young core to help turn things around in year two under Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey, and the biggest name in that group is already drawing attention at training camp.
Second overall pick David Bailey has been getting strong reviews early, and one of the people lining up across from him is already feeling the impact. Offensive tackle Armand Membou, the Jets’ first-round pick before Bailey, told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on August 6th that the rookie edge rusher has made life difficult in practice.
“[Bailey has] been giving me a lot of great work,” Membou stated to Fowler on August 6th. “His speed off the ball, and also how he can go from speed to power, it's been a challenge going against him.
It's been back-and-forth. It was fun.”
Bailey entered the draft as the centerpiece of a class that gave the Jets several high-end additions. Draft chatter had New York weighing Bailey against Ohio State standout Arvell Reese, but the decision became increasingly clear as the draft approached.
Once the Jets made Bailey the No. 2 overall pick, Mougey kept building with two more first-round selections: tight end Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon at No. 16 and Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30.
The roster makeover did not stop there. Along with Membou, Bailey, Sadiq, and Cooper Jr., the Jets added more young talent who could grow into bigger roles.
AD Mitchell also arrived in the Sauce Gardner trade last season, giving Mougey another promising receiver after the picks that came back in that deal. On top of that, 2025 second-rounder Mason Taylor showed flashes as his rookie season went on, and the team also added multiple veterans.
Now the question is whether all of that offseason work starts to show on the field. After a 3-14 debut season for Glenn and Mougey, the pressure is obvious. The Jets have loaded up with youth and reinforcements, but whether it translates into a real step forward in East Rutherford, New Jersey, still has to be seen.
In Other News...
Aaron Glenn Addresses Frightening Jets Camp Medical Scare
A routine training camp day turned uneasy for the Jets when cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after a medical scare on the sideline. The episode briefly overshadowed practice, and it quickly became the sort of moment that reminds everyone around camp how fast football can shift from ordinary reps to real concern.
Head coach Aaron Glenn addressed the situation afterward and praised the medical staff for the way they handled it, emphasizing the fast response that followed. Stiggers is still recovering in the hospital, and for the Jets the focus now is on his health first, with everything else at camp taking a back seat until there is more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Could Still Turn Two Roster Bubble Names Into Draft Value
Darren Mougey has already shown a willingness to squeeze value out of the roster churn, flipping defensive tackles Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips in deals that helped the Jets while also moving Derrick Nnadi. With cutdown day approaching, that history makes it worth watching which fringe names could be next in line if the front office decides to turn a crowded depth chart into something useful.
Two players sit near the center of that conversation: Jamaal Pritchett, the undrafted rookie wideout who flashed enough in the preseason to get noticed, and Andre Cisco, who came back on a new deal after a rocky 2025 season and a pectoral injury. Neither situation is straightforward, and the Jets still have to sort out how each fits against the rest of the roster, which leaves both players in the kind of limbo that can quietly turn into trade interest before the final cuts are made. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Practice Scare Puts Qwantez Stiggers Status In Immediate Doubt
A tense moment interrupted the Jets joint practice with the Buccaneers when cornerback Qwantez Stiggers suddenly collapsed on the sideline and had to be taken to a local hospital. It was the kind of scene that instantly shifts attention away from camp competition and toward the bigger priority, because Stiggers has been battling for a larger role while also contributing on special teams in a crowded cornerback room.
Head coach Aaron Glenn said Stiggers was conscious and talking afterward, which offered some relief after the scare, but his status remains very much in question as the Jets move through camp. For a player trying to carve out defensive snaps, even a brief medical interruption can matter, and the team will be watching closely to see how quickly he can get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]