David Bailey

Draft-Week Buzz

• 2026-04-15 [Combine re-analysis] — 10-yard split of 1.55 confirmed — tied for best EDGE get-off in the class
• 2026-04-09 [Giants workout] — Worked out for NY Giants at Texas Tech's facility; pairs scheme-wise at #5
• 2026-03-30 [Unanimous AA] — Confirmed as unanimous All-American + Big 12 DL of the Year post-season

Buzz items pulled from beat-writer reports, ESPN/NFL.com transactions, Pro Day recaps, and verified Top 30 visit reports in the 30 days leading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Each linked headline goes to the original source. See our full draft-week news tab for cross-prospect timeline.

Combine / Pro Day Measurables (reported)

Numbers compiled from NFL Scouting Combine results, Pro Day box scores, and beat-writer reports. "Reported" means cross-referenced against multiple sources; verify on nfl.com/combine for definitive marks.

College Career Stats

• 2022 Stanford (Fr): 9 starts, True Freshman All-American (247Sports)
• 2023 Stanford (So): 7.5 sacks, 13 TFL
• 2024 Stanford (Jr): 7.0 sacks, 8 TFL, 5 FF — most Stanford sacks since Casey Toohill 2019
• 2025 Texas Tech (Sr): 14.5 sacks, 22 TFL, 3 FF — Unanimous All-American + Big 12 DL of the Year

NFL Pro Comparison

Will Anderson Jr. — similar twitchy, hand-active speed-to-power EDGE with college productivity-driven projection

Mock-Draft Consensus

30-day trend: Rising after Combine

Ranks cross-referenced from ESPN's Jordan Reid top-500, PFF's 2026 Big Board top-200, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50 (NFL.com). Realistic draft-night range reflects projected team fit and trade scenarios, not just big-board placement.

Advanced Stats & Production

Metrics blended from PFF grade sheets, school box scores, and Combine/Pro Day box scores. Position-specific: QB shows efficiency + turnover rates, WR/TE show route-running + contested-catch, OL shows pass-block grade + pressures allowed, EDGE/IDL show pass-rush win rate + pressure rate, LB/DB show coverage grade + missed-tackle rate.

Outcome Range

• Floor: Rotational pass rusher, 6-7 sacks/yr
• Median: 10-sack starter with Pro Bowl in a good year
• Ceiling: Top-5 sack leader; Defensive Player of the Year contender

Scheme Fit

Attacking one-gap 3-4 OLB or 4-3 LDE in a wide-9 alignment; avoid two-gap responsibilities

Pre-Draft Visits

Top-30 visits with the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, and Buffalo Bills

Signature College Game

2025 vs Houston: 3.5 sacks, 6 TFL — Big 12 announce moment in a Texas Tech blowout

Sources

• ESPN Player Page
• Wikipedia
• Texas Tech Athletics

Our scouting profile is assembled from these primary sources + cross-checked against ESPN (Kiper / Reid / Miller), PFF's 2026 Big Board, Dane Brugler's The Beast 2026, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50. See our full methodology and citations.

Day 2 / Day 3 Team Fits

NFL teams that lost a same-position veteran this offseason — and could target David Bailey as a Day 2/3 replacement option.

• VERIFIED Kansas City Chiefs: moved on from Michael Danna (speed-rusher) on 2026-02-23. [verified]
  Picks held: R1 #9; R1 #29 via Los Angeles Rams; R2 #40
• REPORTED Miami Dolphins: moved on from Bradley Chubb (speed-rusher).
  Picks held: R1 #11; R1 #30 via Denver; R2 #43
• REPORTED Green Bay Packers: moved on from Rashan Gary (power-rusher).
  Picks held: R2 #52

Confidence: "VERIFIED" departures cite a publication URL (Spotrac, OverTheCap, ESPN, NFL.com, team transactions page) confirming the move and date. "REPORTED" entries come from public free-agency trackers without a single canonical source we could attach. Fits are archetype-and-position based; we are not claiming the team has expressed interest in the prospect.

NFL Scheme Fit

Scheme matches are bucketed from the prospect's height, weight, and (for WRs) archetype tag against a static lookup of which NFL teams currently run each scheme family.

Rookie Contract & Landing-Spot Outlook

Contract band uses the 2026 NFL CBA rookie wage scale projected from the prospect's expected pick range; guarantee % is the slot-default at that pick. Landing-spot best/worst case is derived from TEAMS data (positional needs + scheme overlap minus same-position R1 conflicts) — not a claim that either team has expressed interest.

By the Numbers — 2026 Class Context

• Frame: Among 2026 EDGE prospects, his 6-3 / 250 lbs frame sits at the 59th percentile in height and 37th percentile in weight.
• Position class: David Bailey is EDGE #3 of 27 ranked EDGEs in the 2026 class. Of those, 8 are projected in the R1 range.
• School pipeline: One of 6 Texas Tech prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft — but the only EDGE.
• Recruiting arc: Was a 4-star recruit but is now projected R1 — outperformed his recruiting profile.

Computed factually from the 2026 prospect class roster — height/weight percentiles benchmark this player against every other ranked prospect at the same position. Recruiting arc compares his high-school 247Sports/Rivals composite to his current projected round.

David Bailey’s NFL Archetype: Haason Reddick

Haason Reddick (Philadelphia Eagles)

Closest EDGE physical profile in the modern NFL: 6-3/250 lbs. Same frame, same role bucket — NOT a talent or career-arc projection.

Note: this is a physical-profile match — frame, position, role bucket. Not a talent or career-arc projection.

Similar EDGE Rusher Prospects

Closest matches to David Bailey (6-3 / 250 lbs, #3 EDGE) by ranking proximity and physical profile. SIZE MATCH = within 1″ height and 10 lbs; TIER MATCH = within 2 ranking spots.

• TJ ParkerSIZE MATCH Clemson · 6-3/260 lbs · #5 EDGE · R1
• Cashius HowellSIZE MATCH Texas A&M · 6-3/255 lbs · #7 EDGE · R1
• Arvell ReeseSIZE MATCH Ohio State · 6-4/243 lbs · #1 EDGE · R1 top 5
• Rueben Bain Jr.TIER MATCH Miami (FL) · 6-3/275 lbs · #2 EDGE · R1 top 10
• Akheem Mesidor Miami (FL) · 6-4/265 lbs · #6 EDGE · R1

→ Full EDGE Rushers rankings

Texas Tech & The 2026 Class