Fernando Mendoza is a lock to go No 1, but what happens after is less certain. From a difference-making running back to a polarizing QB, we look at the biggest questions entering draft night
The draft begins with the second pick this year. We know Fernando Mendoza will be the Las Vegas Raiders’ selection at No 1 overall. With the second pick, the Jets have a decision to make: edge-rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech or the hybrid defender Arvell Reese from Ohio State.
Bailey is widely viewed as the top pure edge-rusher in the class. He has a similar profile to Denver’s Nik Bonitto, a speed-bend-burst edge-rusher who relies on his unteachable first-step speed. The only problem: Bailey is a liability against the run.
The Jets already have Will McDonald, a dip-and-rip style pass-rusher similar to Bailey. But after trading Jermaine Johnson to the Titans, they are lacking some sizzle off the snap. Bailey has the potential to be a game-breaker, but the Jets must weigh up whether he is good enough against the run to be an every-down player or whether he is a pass-rush specialist.
Reese is the best player in the class. At Ohio State, he played as an off-the-ball linebacker and part-time edge-rusher. He is an explosive, physical, smart defender who can play around the defensive front. Most teams are projecting Reese to play full-time on the edge in the NFL, but there is a limited sample size of him playing that role in college. There have been some comparisons to Micah Parsons, who transitioned from linebacker to edge-rusher after the Cowboys drafted him in 2021. But Parsons had been an edge-rusher in high school, and he was not the same caliber of linebacker prospect that Reese is.
