Jets Expected To Draft David Bailey Second Overall; Latest On WR Possibilities
The Jets canceled a scheduled “30” visit with David Bailey, but that is hardly an indication they will pass on the Texas Tech edge defender at No. 2 overall in the draft. On the contrary, “most of the league” expects the Jets to use their first pick on Bailey, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears.
The possibility of the Jets taking Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in the second slot exists, but the popular belief is they will settle on Bailey or Buckeyes LB/edge Arvell Reese. Not even two weeks ago, Reese was reportedly the favorite to end up in New York. The draft is still a week away, leaving enough time for this to swing in a different direction by next Thursday.
Will McDonald and free agent additions Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare are the Jets’ top edge options heading into the draft. They make for a decent trio, but the Jets are in need of a game-wrecking pass rusher. They may get one in the 22-year-old Bailey, whose production exploded last season. Spending his first three college seasons at Stanford, Bailey combined for 14.5 sacks over 32 games. He matched that sack total in 14 games with the Red Raiders.
After leading his conference in sacks and tackles for loss (19.5) in 2025, Bailey earned a unanimous All-America selection and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder further demonstrated his athletic prowess at the Combine, where he paced his position in the 40-yard dash (4.50) and ranked third in the broad jump, seventh in the 10-yard split and tied for 10th in the vertical jump.
Even if Bailey does not end up as their choice, the Jets are likely to take a defender with their initial pick. The Jets also have another first-rounder, No. 16, and may use that selection to bring in a potential impact player on offense. Receiver is a glaring weakness for the Jets, who need a high-end complement to the excellent Garrett Wilson. A recent report indicated the Jets are “extremely high on” Indiana wideout Omar Cooper Jr., but they like him much better as a potential option at No. 33 than at 16, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports.
New York spending a first-rounder on Cooper is not on the table, per Pauline, who reports the team has only given Round 1 grades to three receivers: Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) and Denzel Boston (Washington). Tate should be long gone when the Jets are on the clock again at the midpoint of the first round, but coming away with either Tyson or Boston looks like a realistic outcome.
Commanders High On Jeremiyah Love At No. 7; Team Unlikely To Pick Caleb Downs?
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is considered one of the Commanders’ top choices for the No. 7 pick in next week’s draft, according to EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline.
Washington has operated a backfield-by-committee approach for several years without investing much in any one individual running back. In 2025, they traded Brian Robinson – their last player to take more than 200 carries in a season back in 2022 – to the 49ers and split their touches between 2023 sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez and 2025 seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The Commanders added former Buccaneer Rachaad White into their rotation this offseason, too.
Drafting Love would end the committee approach. He would step in as a full-time, three-down RB1 right away who will only need to be rotated out for rest and load management. The Commanders would be able to lean on a more traditional running game without putting Jayden Daniels in as much danger after an injury-riddled 2025 season. And when Washington does use Daniels’ legs, they may find that combining an elite running back with a mobile quarterback can lead to explosive results, as the Ravens showed with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in 2024.
Love was one of several projected top-10 picks to take a top-30 visit to Washington this week. He joined edge rushers Arvell Reese (Ohio State), David Bailey (Texas Tech), and Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), among others, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Any would fill the Commanders’ significant need off the edge, though either Reese or Bailey is expected to be the Jets’ pick at No. 2. The other is unlikely to fall to the seventh pick, but Washington should have a shot at Bain with some teams scared off by his below-average arm length.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was also present for Tuesday’s top-30 gathering, but he is not expected to be the team’s pick at No. 7. The Commanders are returning their top three safeties from last season – Jartavius Martin, Jeremy Reaves, and Will Harris – and signed Nick Cross in free agency. Cross will take up one starting role, and the team is confident that Martin, a 2023 second-rounder, can bounce back after struggling in coverage last year, according to Pauline. Downs has more long-term upside than any currently-rostered Commanders safety, but the front office may value a position with more value or immediate need.
Instead, Pauline adds, one of the aforementioned pass rushers, a wide receiver, or cornerback are “in play” for the seventh overall pick, but that may not matter if Love falls that far. At present, that does not seem especially likely. He has been linked with a number of clubs with top-five picks, and in what is considered a thin draft class in terms of elite prospects, one may be inclined to ignore Love’s position and select him based on his pure talent.
Titans Host DE David Bailey
Set to select fourth overall in next week’s draft, the Titans will have an interesting decision to make when they are on the clock. As expected, many of the top prospects in the 2026 class have received a look from Tennessee.
That includes David Bailey. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Texas Tech edge rusher took part in a top-30 visit with the Titans last week. Bailey is in contention to be the top pass rusher selected, and as such he will receive strong consideration from both the Jets (set to draft second overall) and Cardinals (third).
Tennessee has long been connected to Jeremiyah Love, and the Notre Dame running back visited the Titans early in the pre-draft process. Love would offer a major boost to the team’s offense, although new head coach Robert Saleh has expressed confidence in the running back room as currently constructed. Bringing in a high-end EDGE presence would go a long way toward upgrading a Titans front seven which has plenty of room for improvement compared to 2025.
Bailey has long been viewed as a first-round lock thanks to his standout showing last season. Across three years at Stanford, he totaled 14.5 sacks. Bailey managed to match that figure during his lone campaign with the Red Raiders, adding 19.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles along the way. That resulted in first-team All-American honors and cemented his status as one of the top players at any position in the 2026 class.
The Titans have been busy with respect to additions along the defensive front this offseason. Jermaine Johnson was acquired via trade with the Jets, while John Franklin-Myers was among the team’s numerous big-ticket free agent signings. Other positions could be viewed as a priority with Tennessee aiming to rebound from a 3-14 season, but selecting Bailey would provide a notable presence against the pass for 2026 and beyond.
The same could of course be true of other prospects such as Ohio State hybrid linebacker/pass rusher Arvell Reese, who is also in position to hear his name called early on Day 1. Nevertheless, it comes as little surprise the Titans are among the teams which have done their homework on Bailey.
Commanders Eyeing Defense In Round 1?
On the strength of a surprisingly strong rookie Jayden Daniels campaign, the Commanders found themselves a game away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2024. Significant missed time for Daniels and a number of other key contributors led in part to a disappointing 2025 campaign, but another huge factor was a defense that gave up the most yards and the sixth-most points in the NFL. Because of that, ESPN’s Peter Schrager believes Washington will be looking to add to their defense when their pick in the first round arrives.
The Commanders have already done a bit of work to improve things on that side of the ball in free agency, signing outside linebackers Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Charles Omenihu, linebacker Leo Chenal, defensive tackle Tim Settle, cornerbacks Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon, and safety Nick Cross. Settle should join Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw on the defensive line.
Chenal should slot in next to Frankie Luvu to replace veteran Bobby Wagner in the starting lineup. Oweh, Chaisson, and Omenihu should bolster a pass rush that lost Jacob Martin and veteran Von Miller. Alongside a pair of recent high draft picks, Robertson and Witherspoon will attempt to make up for snaps lost with the departures of Marshon Lattimore, Jonathan Jones, and Noah Igbinoghene, while Cross should be an improvement at safety.
Despite the recent struggles of Payne and Kinlaw, the team already has enough salary sunk into the position, and there isn’t really an interior defender worth taking No. 7 overall. It’s probably safe to eliminate cornerback knowing the team added second-rounders in each of the past two drafts. The Commanders are also probably okay with the back end of their secondary being manned by Cross and Quan Martin, while Jeremy Reaves and Will Harris add depth. That leaves the inside and outside linebacker groups as the best areas to attack.
Schrager believes off-ball linebacker will be the play, projecting Ohio State’s Sonny Styles as the pick. Styles certainly could be a strong addition to the linebacking corps; he’s widely projected as the draft’s top option at the position. Wagner and Luvu dominated the snap share available at the linebacker position on Washington’s defense last year. Each player totaled over 1,100 snaps on defense, and the linebacker with the next-highest snap count topped out at 364. Even as a starter in Kansas City, Chenal was more of a rotation piece on the Chiefs defense. He didn’t even see half the snaps his fellow starters did.
Additionally, neither Luvu nor Chenal worked primarily off-ball last year. Both players served in fairly versatile roles by often lining up on the edge. Chenal split his time about 60-40 favoring off-ball work, while Luvu was much closer to 50-50. Because the Commanders lost their veteran, off-ball stalwart, Styles makes a ton of sense here. Installing the Buckeyes’ top inside linebacker prospect in the middle would allow for Luvu and Chenal to continue in their roaming, supportive roles.
The team could also look at edge rusher. Unfortunately, Styles’ fellow linebacker — and projected NFL edge rusher — Arvell Reese is expected to be long gone at this point in the draft. After Reese, there’s an expectation that one of either Texas Tech’s David Bailey or Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. will also be selected. There’s a strong possibility that the prospect that isn’t selected after Reese could make its way to Washington at the ninth pick.
Oweh, Chaisson, and Omenihu certainly improve the team’s pass rush over what was left following departures in free agency, but they have only one double-digit sack season between the three of them. If they get an opportunity to add Bailey or Bain in this spot, it may be hard to pass up that kind of value.
This also disregards the offensive side of the ball, where the departures of Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown make wide receiver a potential position of need, as well. Ultimately, several factors will affect the decision the Commanders make 12 days from now, and even those factors could change in the time between then and now. But if Schrager is correct, and the Commanders have defense in mind on Day 1, a linebacker could be an impact move for the franchise and defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn.
Sonny Styles In Play For Jets; Latest On Team’s Plans At No. 2 Overall
It may not be a two-man race for the Jets at No. 2 overall. Although New York has long been tied to bringing in an edge rusher with that choice, one of this class’ impact talents at a non-premium position may be in play still.
The Jets are viewed as “incredibly high” on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora notes. Styles’ transition from safety to linebacker and his eye-catching Combine performance rocketed him up draft boards. Even though off-ball linebacker is not traditionally in play for teams this high, the 6-foot-5 defender may be an exception.
Styles joins Jeremiyah Love and ex-Buckeyes teammate Caleb Downs as high-floor prospects in this class who play positions devalued — to a degree, at least — on the marketplace. Styles and Love are firmly in the mix to be top-five picks, with Downs being closely connected to the Giants at No. 5 as well. No pure linebacker has gone in the top five since the Buccaneers chose Devin White fifth overall in 2019; to find an off-ball ‘backer who went second overall, going back much farther is required.
Technically, the Broncos placed Von Miller as a 4-3 outside ‘backer to start his career — but the future Hall of Famer was/is a pass rusher. The 2000 draft featured Washington selecting LaVar Arrington second overall. Though Arrington became a Pro Bowler and was technically a 4-3 OLB as well, he showcased pass-rushing chops (17 sacks from 2002-03). If the Jets are to seriously consider Styles at 2, he would presumably need to be used regularly as a rusher.
Drawing Fred Warner comparisons, Styles transitioned from safety to linebacker in 2024 and did post six sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss that season. He finished with one sack and 6.5 TFLs in 2025 but earned rave reviews as a pure non-rush ‘backer. Styles going ahead of teammate Arvell Reese — his linebacker teammate in Columbus who flashed brightly as a part-time pass rusher — or Texas Tech’s David Bailey would surprise, considering the Jets’ frequent connections to taking an EDGE here. But Styles’ combination of athleticism and production may have him in contention for a contract north of Travis Hunter‘s ($46.65MM) at No. 2 overall soon.
That said, Styles still looks like an underdog to be chosen this early. A Reese-or-Bailey decision that reminds of Jacksonville’s Travon Walker–Aidan Hutchinson debate from 2022 remains the more relevant topic here, as ESPN’s Field Yates notes an “overwhelming majority” of evaluators view the answer to this question as the one that will decide who goes second overall.
Furthering this debate, Yates ESPN colleague Matt Miller notes Bailey is believed to have more fans in the Jets’ building while fellow ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid predicts Reese — the Walker in this scenario — will be the pick. While this debate is believed to be ongoing, a previous report pointed to Reese being the Jets’ preference.
A Reese choice would be a bet on upside, having logged fewer than 100 pass-rushing snaps last season. Bailey led Division I-FBS with 14.5 sacks last season and combined for 12 while at Stanford from 2023-24. Hutchinson has proven to be the more impactful player, and that probably has come up in Jets meetings as the team with the first non-Fernando Mendoza pick deliberates.
Carnell Tate is not viewed as a frontrunner in this discussion, though Miller adds the Jets “really like” the former Buckeyes wide receiver. The lack of a long-term quarterback plan may be impacting the organization with regards to Tate at No. 2. Tate is viewed as a potential top-five pick and appears a lock to be chosen in the top 10, but the Jets have long been tied to a pass rusher to pair with Will McDonald. Styles would be a slight upset given his position, though it would be interesting to see the Jets make that move over Bailey or Reese. The Cardinals and Titans, who both could use EDGE help, will see their fortunes impacted by the Jets’ call here.
Jets Down To Arvell Reese, David Bailey At No. 2?
The Jets seem to have narrowed down their options for the second overall pick in April’s draft to edge defenders Arvell Reese and David Bailey.
Reese seemed to emerge as a clear favorite earlier this week, as noted by PFR’s own Adam La Rose. However, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Peter Schrager believe that Bailey will be the Jets’ choice on draft day.
“Bailey is a much more polished pass rusher,” Jeremiah explained. “He’s the more known commodity, whereas with Reese, you’re planing the upside game and hoping what you’re going to get.”
Schrager and Jeremiah then said they have both heard that the Jets prefer Bailey as a “bird in the hand” pick – a more pro-ready, polished prospect who will immediately upgrade New York’s pass rush. But Brian Costello of the New York Post threw some cold water on that projection, arguing that their source was probably coming from outside rather than inside the organization.
It seems, therefore, that the Jets have yet to lock in their choice for the No. 2 pick. With two weeks until the draft, they still have plenty of time to settle what seems to be a two-man race. Jeremiah compared the Jets’ choice to the Jaguars’ in 2022.
“It reminds me so much of the [Aidan] Hutchinson–Travon Walker debate,” he said. “‘Hutch’ is the better pass rusher right now and Travon Walker was this physical freak who’s not there yet, but you’re hoping he’s going to get there. Now, both of them have been really good pros. In that scenario, the better athlete went ahead of the more polished player.”
In this case, though, he believes that the opposite will happen. Bailey has more experience as an edge rusher compared to Reese, who primarily played off-ball linebacker at Ohio State and will need to develop a pass rush repertoire in the NFL. Bailey already has a full set of moves and a gameplan for how to use them to get to opposing passers. And as Hutchinson shows, having a high floor does not mean that there is a low ceiling in terms of upside.
NFL Announces 16 Prospects Attending NFL Draft
There will be 16 players waiting in the green room when the NFL Draft kicks off later this month. The NFL announced the following attendees for the first night of the draft (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport):
- LB David Bailey, Texas Tech
- DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
- DB Mansoor Delane, LSU
- DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- DB Colton Hood, Tennessee
- WR Makai Lemon, USC
- RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
- DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
- OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
- QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
- LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
- WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Of the 16 prospects invited to Day 1 of the draft, a whopping five of them are from one school: Ohio State. For comparison’s sake, the leader during last year’s draft was Alabama, who sent three prospects ot the green room. The Big Ten is the leading conference, with six prospects attending the first night of the draft.
Notably, expected first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t be attending the draft, as the Indiana quarterback revealed that he’ll instead be celebrating with friends and family in Atlanta. That only leaves one signal-caller attending the event in Alabama’s Ty Simpson. There’s no guarantee that Simpson will even be selected on the first night of the draft, a situation we saw most recently when green-room attendee Jalen Milroe fell to the third round last year.
Jets, Cardinals Could Have Similar Approach To Top Of Draft
Crowded together at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets and Cardinals find themselves in a bittersweet situation. With the second and third overall picks in the first round, each franchise has a great opportunity to add an elite talent, but while both squads have a need at the sport’s most important position, this year’s draft is not lining up to reward them with one to select with their top draft picks.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is widely considered the consensus QB2 of the draft class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to go No.1 overall to the Raiders. Unfortunately for Simpson and both teams, taking the Crimson Tide passer at Nos. 2 or 3 overall would be seen as a huge reach, so if either team were interested in landing the second-best quarterback prospect, it might require some maneuvering for another slot in the first round.
The Jets currently hold pick Nos. 2, 16, 33, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there’s belief New York will exit the second round of the draft with a pass rusher and a quarterback, but that could happen in several different ways. Per Rapoport, the Jets are widely expected to select a pass rusher with the second overall pick. Versatile Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese has been a popular projection for New York there, but Texas Tech’s David Bailey also recently met with the team.
Rapoport also expects them to do their homework on all the possible options available at No. 2. They recently hosted Reese’s running mate in the Buckeyes’ linebacking corps, Sonny Styles, for a top 30 visit. Per Rapoport, Styles, also an expected top 10 pick, has plans to visit the Bengals, as well, though his trip to Cincinnati will be a considered a local visit, not a top 30.
To address the quarterback position, a lot rides on where exactly the Jets value Simpson. If they value him enough, they could chance him being around for their 16th overall pick in the first round. If things are trending in a direction that feels as if Simpson won’t make it that far, they could utilize their first overall pick of the second round to potentially try to trade up and land the quarterback. Alternatively, if using the 16th pick still feels like a stretch for Simpson, New York may explore increasing their collection of draft picks with a move further back in the first round.
As for the Cardinals, Rapoport claims it would surprise him if they drafted Simpson third overall, but at the same time, he acknowledges that we’ve seen the precedent for it in the past. He asserts that Arizona could simply fall in love with Simpson enough to select him that early. More likely, though, the Cardinals may look back just a year to an example set by the Giants. Following the approach New York used to add an elite pass rusher before trading back into the first round for a quarterback, the Cardinals may opt to do the same.
Where Simpson could fall in the first round (or later) has been a huge topic of debate. Early conjecture speculated that it might be prudent to move up past the Steelers at 21 to land Simpson, while further evaluation suggested trading into the back end of the first round, just ahead of the Dolphins at 30, would be the likely move. In recent weeks, Simpson’s chances of landing with either team in the first round have gone way down. In a mid-March episode of The McShay Show podcast, Todd McShay of The Ringer guaranteed that Simpson would “for a fact” not be the Steelers’ pick at No. 21, suggesting the team has more of a third-round value on the Crimson Tide quarterback.
Though Simpson recently visited Miami, ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) did “not believe (the) Dolphins are in the mix for him.” Additionally, all four teams have done homework on other passers in the draft. Notably, since March 21, Miami quarterback Carson Beck has met with each team. Beck and the other projected mid-round quarterbacks offer secondary options for the teams that don’t land Simpson and may end up being preferred options if their draft slot more appropriately fits their value.
These represent just a few of several possibilities that could play out at the end of the month. There is no shortage of quarterback needs in the NFL, but seeing the Giants land their potential franchise passer later on in the first round a year ago has opened the door for a number of mind games to play out. We’ll see how well these draft day decision makers can play poker down the stretch as we await the final weekend in April.
David Bailey Visits Cardinals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets
6:35pm: Bailey also visited the Jets, Rapoport adds. They are looking for a young edge rusher to pair with 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald after trading Jermaine Johnson to the Titans. New York holds the No. 2 pick, which is the earliest Bailey could be drafted with the Raiders all but certain to select Fernando Mendoza first overall.
5:03pm: Texas Tech edge rusher and projected first-round pick David Bailey has made his rounds around the NFL during the pre-draft process. He first visited the Cardinals in early March with trips to the Chiefs and the Cowboys this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bailey, 22, is widely expected to be selected in the first 10 picks of April’s draft. He began his college career at Stanford with solid production from 2022 to 2024. In 2025, he transferred to Texas Tech and mounted an All-American campaign in Lubbock with an FBS-high 14.5 sacks and a Big 12-high 19.5 tackles for loss.
That production, combined with an excellent performance at the Combine, vaulted Bailey to the top of a strong draft class at his position. Among edge rushers, his 4.50-second 40-yard dash trailed only fellow projected top-10 pick Arvell Reese, and his 10-foot-9 broad jump ranked third.
With BJ Ojulari and Baron Browning in the last year of their contracts, the Cardinals could use a foundational edge rusher to build their defense around. Bailey is arguably the best one available, and the shorter-than-average arms of his primary competition, Rueben Bain, might scare Arizona away from using the No. 3 pick on him. Bailey brings no such length concerns, though his slim frame and lack of elite power are knocks on his game.
The Chiefs, who hold the ninth overall pick, could also use another high-upside edge rusher opposite 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis. Bailey’s speed-rushing capabilities could complement Karlaftis’ power and ensure that Kansas City’s pass rush continues to thrive even if Chris Jones retires in the next few years.
The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Packers just before the 2025 regular season, and his absence loomed large all year long. Dallas has built some depth off the edge with Rashan Gary joining Sam Williams and 2025 second-rounder Donovan Ezeiruaku, but none can match Bailey’s long-term upside. No one player can truly replace Parsons, but adding an explosive pass rusher like Bailey would be a good start.