Texas Tech’s rookie defenders are making a lot of noise early in the 2026 NFL season, and on Sunday it was David Bailey who grabbed the spotlight.
The New York Jets’ first-year pass rusher delivered a monster outing in a 17-12 win over Cleveland, piling up three sacks against the Browns to push his season total to five. That puts him atop all rookies and just one behind NFL leader Greg Rousseau of the Buffalo Bills, who plays Monday night.
Bailey’s production has been steady all season, too. Through five games, he has been credited with 25 total tackles, including 17 solo tackles, a strong mark for a pass-rushing outside linebacker.
Against Cleveland, the impact went well beyond the sacks. In 57 snaps, Bailey posted seven pressures, four QB hits, and a forced fumble.
That’s exactly the kind of disruption the Jets were betting on when they took Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft this past spring.
The rookie numbers are eye-catching enough on their own, but they also keep the spotlight on a Texas Tech defensive pipeline that’s off to a fast start in the league. Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been outstanding as well, and the conversation among Red Raider fans is whether Bailey or Rodriguez has been the NFL’s best defensive rookie so far.
Rodriguez added to his own strong start on Sunday, finishing with 11 tackles in a 31-24 loss to Cincinnati. That gives him 57 total tackles for Miami, the most by any rookie and a total that’s close to the league lead overall.
The success of Bailey and Rodriguez also serves as a loud reminder of how strong Texas Tech’s defense was last season. That group also featured Lee Hunter, a rookie defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers; Skyler Gill-Howard, a rookie defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions; and Romello Height, a rookie edge rusher for the San Francisco 49ers.
But right now, Bailey and Rodriguez are the two names making the biggest early-season impact. On Sunday, Bailey’s wrecking-ball performance against Cleveland was the one that had the NFL world buzzing.
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