When Jets finally decided on David Bailey over Arvell Reese

Everyone knew the Las Vegas Raiders would make Fernando Mendoza the first player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, but nobody knew for sure if the New York Jets would take David Bailey or Arvell Reese at No. 2 until the moment came. Late betting odds movement suggested it would be Reese, but the team ultimately went with Bailey.

Jets general manager Darren Mougey admitted after the fact that the decision was almost as much of a coin toss to the front office as it was for everyone else. The team had not come to a consensus until it settled on Bailey “within the last few days,” according to Zack Rosenblatt of ‘The Athletic.’

Mougey added that the Jets simply felt that Bailey fit them better than Reese did, per Rosenblatt. Bailey, who racked up 14.5 sacks with Texas Tech in 2025, is more of a true edge-rusher than Reese is.

Reese ultimately slipped until No. 5, where the Jets’ crosstown rival, the New York Giants, took him with their first of two top-10 picks. Giants head coach John Harbaugh already confirmed the team plans to use Reese as an inside linebacker, per Art Stapleton of NJ.com.

The Bailey vs. Reese debate seemed to be a 50-50 battle until days before the draft, when the Jets canceled a meeting with the Texas Tech edge-rusher. That decision made it seem obvious that they were shifting their focus on Reese, but they had apparantly already seen and heard everything they needed to pick Bailey.

Bailey now joins Will McDonald IV and free agent signing Joseph Ossai to form an intriguing pass-rush tandem for the Gang Green in 2026. New York was second-to-last with just 26 sacks in 2025 and began the offseason by trading former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II.

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