As the first defensive player selected in this year’s draft (No. 2 overall), Bailey’s DROY chances are very strong. Some might even say the strongest of anyone on this list. In four of the last 10 seasons, the first defensive player drafted has gone on to win the award. While some coaches tend to avoid anything resembling high praise for rookies before they play their first snap, Aaron Glenn isn’t hiding his satisfaction. So far, Bailey’s energy, speed and quickness off the edge is everything the Jets expected to see from him, per Glenn. If Bailey’s production carries over to the pros — he tied for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks last season — he could easily leave the other top defensive rookies in the dust. If things don’t improve significantly for the Jets in 2026, he might not be seeing as many pass-rush chances as he would like, with teams holding leads over Gang Green and running the ball to eat clock late in games. Bailey might not be a complete package yet, with questions about whether he has the size and power to hold up against the run. There are too many checked boxes in his favor for him to be any lower on my list, though.
