This story has been updated with more reaction from David Bailey.
The New York Jets weren’t bluffing when they said canceling David Bailey’s pre-draft visit didn’t signal what they thought of him.
On Thursday, April 23, the Jets used the second overall pick in the NFL Draft on the edge defender who helped the Texas Tech football team win a Big 12 championship last season.
“It’s surreal to me,” Bailey said on ESPN’s draft coverage from Pittsburgh. “This is a great experience. This is an awesome opportunity, and I’m just so grateful.”
Bailey’s 14 1/2 sacks were the second-highest single-season total in Texas Tech history, and he also became Tech’s second-highest NFL draftee behind receiver Dave Parks, who went No. 1 overall in 1964.
While Bailey was on his way to becoming a Lombardi Award finalist and a unanimous All-America honoree, the Jets’ 26 sacks last season were the second-fewest in the NFL. They finished 3-14, their 10th consecutive losing season and their worst record since 1996.
“I just want to get in there and be a sponge and soak up everything,” Bailey said on the ESPN telecast. “Just rely on the vets, rely on the staff to make me the best player I can and help out this organization. I feel like this organization is trending in the right way.”
Coincidentally, Bailey had 14 1/2 sacks for Stanford over three seasons before he transferred. Last year was his lone season with the Red Raiders, who finished 12-2 and reached the College Football Playoff.
“David Bailey took his game to a new level,” draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said on ESPN’s telecast. “In 11 games, he had a sack. The consistency off the edge was there. He’s got to step up against the run, and for the Jets, that’s going to be a big factor on whether he is a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
“If you’re drafted number two — ahead of [Ohio State linebacker Arvell] Reese and ahead of [Ohio State linebacker Sonny] Styles, you’ve got to have that type of facility. You’ve got to show that right away.”
NFL teams are allowed to bring in 30 players for pre-draft interviews, film study, and medical evaluation. The Jets generated headlines when they recently canceled Bailey’s visit.
Jets general manager Darren Mougey said it wasn’t a reflection of their interest in Bailey, noting Jets personnel had talked to him at the NFL combine, the Texas Tech pro day and had dinner with him.
“I didn’t know if that was an unusual thing to do,” Bailey said in a conference Thursday night with Jets media, “but I was still confident in the interaction I had with them at the combine, and I felt good with them. Then also, we had a dinner back in Lubbock after my pro day, so I still felt good with the prior conversations.”
Now he’s on his way to New York for keeps.
No matter how bad the Jets have been, Bailey said seeing his phone flash with a Jets number thrilled him.
“It was just joy,” he said. “Just pure joy.”
Bailey’s sack total last season was tied for most in the FBS. His total tackles for loss, 19 1/2, ranked second.
And making those big plays never gets old. He thanked a Jets media member for asking.
“That feeling, it’s like no other,” he said. “It’s really what I’d be chasing. I have a lot of motivations for why I play the game, and that’s one of them. That feeling when you get a sack and then the crowd is on your side — especially during a home game. But regardless home or away it’s one of the best feelings. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Bailey’s scouting report on himself sounds a lot like draft analysts’ descriptions of him.
“I would say I’m explosive,” he said. “The first thing that jumps out on tape is my pass-rushing ability. I mean, I’m explosive, elite first step, but then also I’m a versatile football player, too.
“I’ve played in different schemes throughout my collegiate career. I’ve played off-ball linebacker. I’ve played in the box, played 4-tech [head-up on an offensive tackle]. … I’ve got an ability to adapt to a lot of schemes.”
Is he ready to live up to the billing of a No. 2 overall pick and a dominant pass rusher?
“If I’m going to be completely honest,” he said, “obviously there’s no way to tell. Obviously, I haven’t played in the NFL. Those are grown men, seasoned men, that have been playing the game for a long time. But I’m confident in my ability. My thing is just staying focused, maintaining that same hard work that I put in throughout my collegiate career and taking that next step up.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: What Texas Tech’s David Bailey said after Jets took him in NFL Draft
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
