It felt like the New York Jets selecting David Bailey with the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft got more certain as the draft got closer, and it became official on day one of the draft on Thursday night.
The Jets seemed to be picking between Bailey and Arvell Reese, at least, that's the way it felt in the media leading up to the draft. Both players were extremely worthy of heading to New York, but the Jets probably had hoped that Oregon's Dante Moore (remember him?) had declared for the draft.
Not only do the Jets still not have a franchise quarterback in sight, but this move to take Bailey over Reese further proves that the front office is trying to save Aaron Glenn's job.
The New York Jets need immediate production for Aaron Glenn's job to be saved
As a head coach in the NFL, it's pretty obvious to see when a coach has it or not. Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars did a total 180 from the previous regime and immediately showed that he belongs in the head coaching ranks.
Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears did similar work with his team in 2025, but, despite the Jets not sporting a good roster or quarterback to begin with, did not get any sort of future optimism from Glenn. He truly did look overwhelmed for much of the season, and his defense wasn't even able to intercept a single pass.
Not only did the front office bring in a ton of new faces on defense, but taking Bailey over Reese proves that General Manager Darren Mougey is more focused on saving Glenn's job than anything else.
The thing with Bailey is that he's currently a better overall player than Reese is, and it's not a guarantee what position Reese will settle into once he gets into the NFL. However, the Ohio State product's ceiling is much higher than Bailey's.
It does feel like, with this pick, the Jets are opting for immediate production and a lower ceiling than getting into a potential development arc with a much higher ceiling. Unfortunately, that likely isn't going to work out for Glenn and the Jets.
Sure, Bailey might turn out to be a very good player, but he doesn't offer a ton as a run defender and might only make a mark as a third-down pass-rush presence during his rookie season. That probably won't be enough to save Glenn's job.