New York Jets edge rusher David Bailey is learning the NFL game while being asked to do more than rush the quarterback, a combination that could be complicating his transition. Locked On Jets host John Butchko argued that Bailey has drawn excessive criticism after four games, but questioned why head coach Aaron Glenn’s defense has periodically put the rookie in coverage instead of keeping the focus on his most important developmental task.
Bailey entered the league as the No. 2 overall selection and has the power to hold up against the run and to collapse pockets, Butchko said. The host’s concern is not that Bailey lacks a finished pass-rush package; it is that the Jets need to give him enough chances to build one. Butchko described better hand usage as a coachable next step for a young edge rusher with Bailey’s physical tools, while noting that development is never guaranteed.
Butchko also said Bailey has faced an unusually demanding assignment as a rookie because opponents can devote extra attention to him without fearing enough other New York pass-rush threats. That can mean chip blocks and a larger share of the defense’s pressure burden before Bailey has established the counters needed to consistently beat NFL tackles one-on-one.
The coverage responsibilities create a separate issue. Butchko said Bailey has dropped into coverage fewer than 10 times per game, but the snaps have stood out because he looks less comfortable there than he does playing downhill. Bailey played some linebacker at Stanford, yet Butchko maintained that the Jets drafted him primarily to affect quarterbacks and should simplify his workload until he is more polished as a pass rusher.
Butchko said the Jets reduced those coverage drops in their Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears, an adjustment he viewed positively. The immediate question against the Cleveland Browns is whether that becomes a lasting approach: let Bailey rush, let him develop his hands and counters, and avoid turning a manageable rookie learning curve into a broader schematic test.
Jets News and Notes
– Butchko called the offensive line an average-to-slightly-above-average unit through four games, rather than the elite group some expected. He pointed to uneven play and said the unit’s perception has benefited from being one of the more stable areas on a struggling roster.
– Butchko placed the franchise’s recurring problems at the ownership level, criticizing Woody Johnson’s record on major coaching and front-office decisions. The host framed that concern as a longer-term obstacle that cannot be solved by changing individual players or assistants.
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