The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall

PFF needs to cool it with the Bailey to Washington stuff -- they are jinxing it.

I need a little more clskinsfan trashing the idea of them taking him for me to like our chances ( I kid I know he's backed off some). :) Something to override PFF.
 
David Bailey really impressed me today. I like him more than Bain, though I continue to like Bain. Different players. Bailey is 25 pounds faster and has way more speed. Bailey has the speed, arm length, I just think he is going to be a really good pass rusher in the NFL.

Dan Scneier comment about Dante Moore is interesting. I thought Moore has played reasonably well.
 
Bailey isn't exactly a train wreck against the run, had three really good plays today on run plays. I don't think PFF's good grade for run stopping is some wild leap from them and dead wrong. But who knows?

Even playing along with the idea, its guys with quick get off that change games.



 
David Bailey is a good run defender in Texas Tech’s scheme, and I think that part often gets overlooked when people compare his Stanford tape to what he’s doing now. At Texas Tech, Bailey is playing in a multiple 3–4, and the way they deploy him matters a lot. He’s asked to:
  • Set the edge from a wide alignment
  • Attack downhill rather than sit and read
  • Spill runs back inside to pursuit and interior help
  • Wrong-arm pullers and disrupt blocking angles instead of anchoring
  • Play fast, violent, and aggressive at the point of attack
Those asks line up perfectly with what Bailey does well. He has quick get-off andgood leverage when he’s attacking forward. He’s not being asked to sit square, absorb double teams, or play patient two-gap football. He’s being told to go, create disruption, and trust the structure behind him.

That’s very different from what his responsibilities might look like in other schemes. For example:
  • In a 4–3, he might be asked to play as a true hand-in-the-dirt DE, holding the C-gap, anchoring against tackles, and squeezing down blocks more consistently. He could probably do it competently, but it wouldn’t highlight his best traits.
  • In a two-gapping 3–4, he’d be asked to engage, lock out, read, and shed — playing with patience and mass rather than speed and violence. That’s not where he’s at his best.
  • In a stacked box role, where edge players have to compress gaps and eat blocks for linebackers, his impact would likely be reduced compared to what you’re seeing now.
Could Bailey survive in those roles? Probably. Would he be great? Probably not. I don't think its a concidence that he is been a better run defender is Texas Tech scheme than in Stanfords scheme where he had to do more of those things. And that’s the point: scheme fit matters, especially for edge defenders.

That said, Bailey is still my top guy at his position, even without knowing which scheme we will run next year. The reason is simple: his pass rushing will translate almost anywhere. First-step explosiveness, bend, hand speed, and the ability to finish plays in the backfield work in every front. You can move him around, reduce him, stand him up, or let him rush from wide alignments — he’s going to affect the quarterback.
 
Last edited:
I want Downs before Bailey but I'd be happy IF they signed Bailey before Downs too.
 
Yeah I was keying on Sarratt quite a bit. He is a hell of a blocker.
I really, really like Sarratt. I think he’s my top receiver. He is almost a guarantee at the next level. Some guys like Tyson probably have the higher potential ceiling, but their floor is much lower. Sarratt’s floor is much higher and his ceiling isn’t much lower, in my opinion.

He blocks, he runs, he’s big, he’s physical, he’s clutch, he’s smart, he’s a game changer. What part of his game makes him any less of a prospect than these other guys who have warts on their game?

Sarratt is a very clean prospect.

Boston is clean, too, but he doesn’t have the same kind of “fuck you up” blocking mentality that Sarratt has.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 6, Members: 0, Guests: 6)

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.

    You haven't joined any rooms.
    Top