Bailey could set Texas Tech record if current projection holds for NFL Draft
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On the day of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, ESPN reporter Field Yates released his top 25 prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft.
The consensus agrees Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. But there's a solid opening for who will be taken with the No. 2 pick by the New York Jets.
There were dominant showings this year by Ohio State EDGE rusher Arvell Reese, Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs, and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, who all sit at No. 3 through No. 4. Perhaps, the player with the highest ceiling in David Bailey sits behind them at No. 5, a pick that currently goes to the New York Giants.
In this deep pool of edge rushers, Bailey has separated himself from the rest of the class. He led the FBS with 14.5 sacks this season, getting home with an elite first step, violent hands and power off the edge.Field Yates, ESPN
Along with his incredible physical traits, Bailey has shown the instincts and vision to see plays develop; he swatted two passes in Texas Tech's CFP loss to Oregon, including on a fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
Bailey has a ton of traits that NFL teams will be enamored by, but his physicality stands out on tape. He is a forceful player who can truly disrupt the quarterback. And he was arguably the best player on the most dominant front seven this season.
Bailey was arguably the most dominant pass rusher in the country following his transfer from Stanford to Texas Tech during the offseason.
At 6-foot-3, 250, he is physically ready to make an impact right away for a lucky franchise that'll draft someone that can be the face of the NFL on defense as veterans such as Myles Garrett, TJ Watt, Chris Jones, Joey Bosa and more begin to start retirement tours sooner than later.
During his lone season in Lubbock, Bailey finished the season tied for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks on the season and second for tackles for loss with 19.5. For his career, he finished with 163 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 29 sacks and forced 10 fumbles across four seasons.
In NFL Draft history, the Red Raiders have produced only eight total first round picks dating back to 1938. Should Bailey remain among the top five picks in this year's draft, he will go down as the highest selection out of Texas Tech in school history.
Currently, former Tech star pass rusher Tyree Wilson holds the record for highest draft pick in school history at No. 7 overall in 2023. Both wide receiver Michael Crabtree (2009) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (2017) were selected at No. 10 overall, respectively.
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Jacob is a contributor to Texas Tech and a seasoned journalist with over eight years of covering college football on digital platforms. He also contributes to Arkansas On SI and has previous writing experience at Saturday Down South and SB Nation. He is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University.
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