Two practices into 2026 training camp, one player has already forced his way to the top of every Jets report: rookie edge rusher David Bailey. The No. 2 overall pick out of Texas Tech piled up three would-be sacks in the team’s second practice on July 30 — and he did it in shorts, before the pads even came on. For a Jets team that spent the offseason rebuilding its front, it was exactly the kind of early flash fans hoped to see.

We broke down what Bailey means for the pass rush back in the spring in The David Bailey Effect. This is the on-field follow-up: what he actually did in the first week, what the coaches are saying, and how much to read into it before the real hitting starts.

Who is David Bailey and why do the Jets expect so much?

David Bailey was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the headliner of a three-selection first round for general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. A twitchy, high-motor edge rusher out of Texas Tech, Bailey was drafted to be a cornerstone of a defense that Glenn — a defensive-minded coach — has built around the line of scrimmage. Coming off a 3–14 season, the Jets need their premium pick to hit, and hit fast.

What did David Bailey do in the first week of camp?

In the July 30 practice, Bailey registered three would-be sacks despite the team working without full pads, and he flashed against the run as well — including a tackle for loss on an Omar Cooper Jr. end-around. Observers compared his intensity and get-off to Carl Lawson‘s memorable camp runs. He wasn’t the only one getting to the quarterback — Kingsley Enagbare also chipped in a sack — but Bailey was the clear headliner, backing up the draft-day hype rep by rep.

What has Aaron Glenn said about David Bailey?

Glenn has been measured but clearly encouraged. “He’s everything that we expect him to be, and it’ll be really exciting once we get the pads on,” the head coach said of his rookie. Bailey is already earning respect on the other side of the ball, too: guard Joe Tippmann called him “a pain in the [butt]” to block — high praise from an offensive lineman in late July.

How does Bailey change the Jets’ edge rotation?

Bailey joins a room that already includes Will McDonald IV, Kingsley Enagbare, and Joseph Ossai (currently on the PUP list but “shouldn’t be long,” per the team). The early returns suggest Bailey won’t need long to carve out real snaps — he profiles as a Day 1 contributor in Glenn’s rotation rather than a project. If his first week is any indication, the question isn’t whether he plays, but how quickly he becomes the group’s most disruptive rusher.

Should fans temper expectations until the pads come on?

A little. Padless practices favor pass rushers — there’s no true run game, no full contact, and offensive linemen are working at reduced intensity. Glenn himself flagged the “once we get the pads on” caveat for a reason. He’s also ramping snaps deliberately: the first week caps players at 24 reps, rising by eight each week (32, then 40) to build toward 65–75 plays a game. The smart read on Bailey is genuine optimism with a wait-and-see asterisk — the padded practices and the August 14 preseason opener against Tampa Bay will tell us far more.