{"id":683116,"date":"2026-05-20T14:21:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/683116\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T14:21:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:21:20","slug":"youre-expected-to-learn-quick-three-draft-picks-on-stepping-up-to-the-nfl-nfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/683116\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018You\u2019re expected to learn quick\u2019: three draft picks on stepping up to the NFL | NFL"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a dismal 2025, the future is looking a little brighter for the New York Jets<\/a>. They selected Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey second in the 2026 draft and had two more first-round draft picks \u2013 Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (No 16) and wide receiver Omar Cooper, from national champions Indiana, who they chose at No 30. We spoke to the trio during their first week at 1 Jets Drive.<\/p>\n

What have been the biggest surprises about your first week in the NFL<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cMy biggest shocker has been the practice style. In college, we\u2019re hitting head to head, but here it\u2019s a bit more controlled, slower tempo. I\u2019m just getting used to it. Today I dove for a ball and they were like: \u2018We\u2019re not gonna do that in practice.\u2019 That was definitely different. Everything\u2019s a bit shorter \u2013 meetings, practice \u2013 but very efficient. In college, they walk through general detail, but in the NFL you\u2019re expected to pick it up and learn quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper: \u201cI would say the way every coach talks to everybody, being more vocal, and how there\u2019s always somebody watching you. That would be the biggest difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you open up the Jets playbook, does it make sense to you? Are they similar to college, just with different names?<\/p>\n

Bailey: \u201cThat\u2019s a good question. The playbook is huge and I hear it\u2019s going to be a lot but learning the first install [basic positions and plays] wasn\u2019t too bad. They\u2019re about the same as college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cNo, it is definitely different. As a freshman \u200bat Oregon, it\u2019s expected you\u2019re going to pick up things a bit slower \u2013 they give you a bit of leniency. But here you\u2019re expected to know. So I\u2019m transitioning to that pro style, going over installs before we do them so I have an idea what\u2019s going on before we get into the actual meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jets have 36 players on trial alongside all the rookies. With dozens of coaching staff too, how are you coping with meeting about 100 new people?<\/p>\n

Cooper: \u201cIt\u2019s reminded me of my freshman year at college. You just smile, be yourself and get to know the people around you. I\u2019ve been trying to learn as many names as I can, but it\u2019s going to take a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bailey: \u201cThey\u2019re great players, even better people. I\u2019ve been having fun with my position group, and meeting people on the defence and even on the offensive side of the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cI\u2019m really trying to get to know everyone but I\u2019m pretty bad with names, so it\u2019s definitely a challenge. I\u2019ll get it down the road for sure. It\u2019s just too many for me! I don\u2019t know too many other people. I played against David in the Orange Bowl but we haven\u2019t even talked about that. I talked more to Omar about him and D\u2019Angelo [Ponds, Indiana teammate and fellow Jets rookie] beating us twice!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jets drafted Omar Cooper from national champions Indiana. Photograph: Jess Stiles\/Imagn Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve always been the best player in your teams but now every opponent will probably be the best you\u2019ve ever faced. How will you step up?<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cAt his level your strengths are what will separate you in the end, but you have to minimise your weaknesses too. When I came in as a freshman, I was watching the way Bo Nix prepared, the way he went about his business \u2013 you could definitely tell he was at that pro level. I saw what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bailey: \u201cI haven\u2019t gone against any professional players yet, but I\u2019m looking forward to that. I\u2019ll need to knock off the detrimental tendencies that deterred me from having as much success as I could in college, tendencies I could get away with at that level. I need to make sure my coaches understand what they are\u200b so we get rid of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper: \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to competing against the guys that I watched on TV over the past few years. I\u2019ll be watching film, seeing what they don\u2019t like, or what works against them, and what they\u2019re very successful at, paying attention to the little details and taking notes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Omar spent all his life in Indiana, David had only lived in California before a year in Texas, and Kenyon had never been to the east coast until last week, so is coming to NYC exciting?<\/p>\n

Cooper: \u201cDefinitely. But I\u200b have family out here\u200b so\u200b, if I ever get homesick, which I highly doubt, I got family that\u2019s down on the street. That makes it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bailey: \u201cI\u2019m really excited that I\u2019m not back in Southern California, where I\u2019m from, or Texas, because I\u2019ve experienced those things. I\u2019ve been switching from environment to environment. They\u2019re drastically different in their own ways, but that\u2019s what life\u2019s all about: experiencing new things and all types of people, weather, food, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cIt\u2019s pretty crazy because it happened so fast. But it\u2019s a blessing to be able to live in different areas. My sister lives in New York so I\u2019ll be getting to spend some time with her. She\u2019s about to graduate from NYU; she\u2019s been out here for four years now but I haven\u2019t gotten out to see her. Hopefully I\u2019ll be there for her graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York Jets first-round draft pick Kenyon Sadiq. Photograph: Heather Khalifa\/AP<\/p>\n

It was common knowledge that David would join the Jets but, Kenyon and Omar, did you have any clue you would end up at the team?<\/p>\n

Cooper: \u201cI had 13 visits, and then Zoomed with almost every other team after that. I honestly didn\u2019t know who was going to draft me. I didn\u2019t have a say but, if you feel like you don\u2019t want to go to a team, then you\u2019re doing it for the wrong reason. You should feel blessed to even have the opportunity to play in the NFL. That\u2019s how I was looking at it. Whatever team took me, I would have been very grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cSome guys have a good idea where they\u2019re going. I definitely had a bit of an idea, but I could really have ended up in LA or anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your whole world has changed in a month. Could you be the heroes the Jets fans are desperate for?<\/p>\n

Bailey: \u201cI don\u2019t know about hero, I just want to help as much as I can. I flourished in the last environment [at Texas Tech] but, like every sporting event since I was a kid, I was nervous at the beginning. I think it will be the same here. I\u2019m going to be relying on the vets, who have a lot more experience and knowledge than me, to help me and the whole team out. It\u2019s not going to be a one-man show. It\u2019s going to be everybody working in unison to get the Jets where it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadiq: \u201cI\u2019m taking it day by day. If you get too far out, I start forgetting things. So let\u2019s just focus on the day you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper: \u201cHonestly, it ain\u2019t really hit me yet. It\u2019s all a whirlwind. I\u2019m just finding my feet. I try to always be nice to the fans, smile away, take a picture, have a conversation \u2013 hopefully I\u2019ll do well and they\u2019ll love me. That\u2019s the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

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