Texas Tech All-American Edge Rusher Turns Heads with 40-Yard Dash Time at NFL Combine
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Texas Tech All-American edge rusher David Bailey turned heads with his 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine Thursday.
NFL insider Adam Schefter took note of Bailey and took to social media to reveal the edge ran an unofficial 4.51. It was later officially listed as a 4.50 40-yard dash time.
Bailey's time was the fastest among all defensive ends at this year's scouting combine, which could propel the Texas Tech star to top five territory in the NFL draft.
— Jay (@Jayy_Hardyy252) February 26, 2026
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, Bailey was listed in the top five of The Athletic's draft consensus rankings. Austin Mock of The Athletic believes he could be picked higher than some of his defensive counterparts since he is being listed as an edge.
"Some teams simply won’t want to invest a high draft pick on a player who may play off the ball," Mock writes.
"So, who is likeliest to jump Reese? I’m actually going to skip past the next defensive player on the consensus board, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, and land on David Bailey or Rueben Bain Jr. Those two are squarely penciled in as edge rushers, which would make it easier for a front office to pull the trigger.
"Reese and Downs may be the better prospects, but it’s hard not to factor in positional value when comparing them to Bailey or Downs."
Why is David Bailey such a highly-touted draft pick?
Bailey spent just one season with the Red Raiders, but he made it count. He recorded 14.5 sacks, which was tied for most in FBS, and 81 pressures. His 19.5 tackles for loss were tied for second in FBS.
The Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year shined because of his elite first-step quickness and a versatile pass-rush. Bailey helped anchor 14 a Top-10 defense to the College Football Playoff last season.
He is projected to be a high draft pick in the 2026 NFL draft and has already met with the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that boasts Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback.
Bailey discussed his meeting with the Chiefs during a media session in Indianapolis this week.
"I have met with the Kansas City Chiefs. They were a great team, great staff. I'd be honored to rush alongside Chris Jones. It was a comfortable meeting, they were extremely personal. We talked a little bit of ball, I didn't feel stressed at all. They made me feel welcome," Bailey said.
#Chiefs fans very interested in DL David Bailey, who has met with the Chiefs and enjoyed his meeting. Why he enjoyed, what differentiates him from other rushers in the Draft and how he plays the run, 3rd down with differences in how he played at Stanford compared to at Texas Tech pic.twitter.com/Ahbfuj9QG8
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) February 26, 2026
As the Chiefs look to bounce back after missing the playoffs in 2025, the team could certainly use a key edge like Bailey who had a 20.1 percent pressure rate last year.
Prior to his time at Tech, Bailey played 33 games for the Stanford Cardinals where he recorded 111 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks.
At Stanford, he was a 2022 True Freshman All-American and earned Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in 2023.
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Valentina Martinez is an On SI writer. She has in depth knowledge of the college sports community and has covered professional sports extensively. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and covered Sun Devil Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball, Women's Volleyball and Softball.