A month into the 2026 season, the comparison the Jets wanted to avoid is already staring them in the face.
Back in the run-up to the draft, New York was split between two defensive prospects at No. 2 overall: Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. The Jets chose Bailey, betting on the player they viewed as the safer, higher-floor pass rusher. Reese was the more developmental option, an unrefined rusher with a big motor and plenty of projection.
Four games in, Reese is making that call look a lot more complicated.
On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the Giants linebacker was everywhere. Reese finished with nine tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass breakups and an interception in Big Blue’s 36-24 win, the kind of all-around performance that jumps off the screen and changes the conversation fast.
Bailey, meanwhile, had the kind of afternoon that disappears into the background. Against the Chicago Bears, the rookie edge rusher was a non-factor, and Reese’s breakout only made the contrast sharper.
Bailey’s season did open on a strong note. He posted two sacks in the first two games, becoming the first Jets rookie to do that since Shaun Ellis in his debut 2000 season. But even with those early splash plays, the overall impact wasn’t matching the billing that comes with being the No. 2 pick.
That concern has only grown over the last few weeks. According to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, Bailey ranks 90th among edge defenders in pressure rate with at least 25 pass-rushing snaps through Weeks 2-4, sitting at 10.6%. That’s not disastrous, but it’s not what a team expects from a pick that high.
There is still plenty of season left for Bailey to settle in and change the story. Four games is a tiny sample, and Sunday’s game script didn’t exactly set him up to take over.
Even so, Reese is already building a résumé that makes the Jets’ decision harder to ignore. He leads the NFL in solo tackles and is one of only 12 non-defensive backs with at least four pass breakups and an interception. That’s the kind of production that keeps the what-if conversation alive in New York.
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Jets Fans Just Got An Uncomfortable New QB Option
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Jones has already bounced from the Patriots to the Jaguars to the 49ers, and he is currently sitting behind Brock Purdy in San Francisco. For the Jets, it is another reminder that the search for insulation behind Geno Smith is not necessarily finished, even with rookie Cade Klubnik in the building after being drafted in 2026 and getting preseason reps. [Read more 🡒]