There are moments in college football where development meets destiny, where a player doesn’t just rise, he erupts with talent. For Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, that moment turned into a statement heard across the entire NFL. On Thursday night, the New York Jets made Bailey the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a selection that didn’t just validate his talent; it also validated the belief inside the Red Raiders program. For Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, seeing Bailey get picked second in the draft was more than a moment of pride for Lubbock; it was something deeply personal.
McGuire was inside the green room. Close enough to feel every phone ring, close enough to sit beside Bailey’s mother as the moment unfolded. “I was in the green room. I was sitting right by his mom, you know, holding her hand whenever the phone rang,” he said in an interview after the draft. “It was incredible. It was a great moment back there, and I just, I loved that everybody got to see his personality, and then the smile on his face was absolutely incredible.”
That smile said everything: relief, joy, arrival.
With the rest of the world reacting to Bailey as a finished product heading to a larger stage, McGuire framed him as something far more dangerous: unfinished. “What are the Jets getting in this guy? They’re getting a guy that the thing with him is his best football is ahead of him.” McGuire spoke of the developmental truth about how Bailey’s path was not linear. At Stanford, he played multiple roles, including linebacker, hybrid defender, and situational rusher. However, his production was inconsistent, and the overall vision wasn’t clear. Not until he landed in Lubbock, anyway.
McGuire and his coaching staff saw what others didn’t: a true pass rusher waiting to be unleashed. “Whenever you look at his tape his first three years, Stanford used him a lot of different ways. He played off the ball, linebacker, and he rushed the passer with us. We saw a pass rusher, so we put him on the edge, and he had 14.5 sacks.”
That decision reshaped his trajectory and eventually reshaped the NFL Draft board. In one season, Bailey didn’t just improve; he dominated with 14.5 sacks, one of the most productive edge seasons in college football. It was a huge leap from versatile defender to top-tier pass-rush prospect, and that is exactly why the Jets didn’t hesitate at No. 2 overall.
This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Joey McGuire reacts to David Bailey going No. 2 overall in NFL Draft
Reporting by Lauren Beasley, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
