DavidBailey

Bailey is a twitched-up edge rusher with top-tier burst and a switch that’s flipped to attack mode at all times. A transfer to Texas Tech in 2025 after playing three seasons at Stanford, he emerged as one of the most productive edge players in the country last year, tying for an FCS-best 14.5 sacks while adding 19.5 tackles for a loss (second most) and 81 pressures (also second, per PFF). He’s a quick-footed rusher with an explosive first step and a variety of moves at his disposal: He uses long arms to strike and lock out opponents and keep them off his chest, he converts speed to power as a bull-rusher, he has an effective Euro-step inside counter, and his spin move regularly leaves tackles lunging. He’s a real pain in the ass to block, basically, as evidenced by his 39.5 percent win rate in true pass rush situations, per PFF, which ranked fourth best among pass rushers with 100-plus rushes last season. He brings excellent closing speed and arrives at the quarterback or ballcarrier with a thump, with eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons. 

Bailey has a slimmer-than-ideal build and is light in the pants when taking on blocks. He could be a liability in the run game and may need to bulk up a bit at the next level so he can stay on the field for all three downs. He lacks power as a rusher and sometimes struggles to disengage from blocks once offensive linemen get their hands on him.