Jets Training Camp Day 1 Takeaways: AD Mitchell and David Bailey Shine

Jun 10, 2026; Florham Park, NY, USA; New York Jets edge David Bailey (31) warms up during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Football is back in Florham Park, officially. The New York Jets opened 2026 training camp Wednesday, the second under head coach Aaron Glenn.

As with every training camp practice, we’ll have the biggest takeaways and the latest updates from 1 Jets Drive.

With that said, let’s break down what fans need to know following a competitive Day 1.

AD Mitchell continues to shine

It’s good to be Adonai Mitchell right now. The former second-round pick out of Texas excelled during OTAs last month. He was up to his old bag of tricks again on Wednesday, catching a deep pass and using his elite speed to beat Brandon Stephens on another deep throw. While the pass was incomplete, it said more about the throw being late than anything Mitchell did.

It’s important for Mitchell to continue to play well. Gang Green needs a second receiving option to complement Garrett Wilson, and they believe Mitchell is that player.

There shouldn’t be any timing concerns, either. Mitchell’s speed is something that’s hard to replicate across the league.

So long as he remains consistent in camp, his long awaited breakout could be on the way in 2026.

Mediocre QB day

Nothing New York’s quarterback room did on Wednesday was bad. Frankly, it’s still night and day from what the room looked like last season.

But it’s fair to point out no one really stood out in a positive way. The defense won the day for good reason. Geno Smith was late on throws, fourth-round rookie Caden Klubnik was picked off once and could have been tagged for another.

Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook did not stand out in their own rights, either.

Again, this isn’t to say the quarterbacks were bad. They each completed passes and operated the offense. Compared to last year’s room, the group is lightyears ahead.

But the first days was just simply ok. The Jets will want more going forward.

Top pick surges

Fans were waiting patiently to see what second-overall pick David Bailey would look like when the looseness of OTAs ended.

They got to see some of that on Wednesday.

Bailey pressured Smith into an incomplete pass and had multiple sturdy reps again the run. The latter point is key because that was a perceived weakness of his coming out of college.

New York wasn’t concerned, though, because they felt they could teach Bailey to become a good run defender. They couldn’t teach his quick pass rushing ability.

On Wednesday, Bailey proved both.

Injuries

New York did not escape the first day of practices unscathed. Second round rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds suffered a calf strain during practice according to Glenn.

Nose tackle Mazi Smith also suffered a hamstring injury as well. He’s the second interior defensive lineman to go down with an injury in the last few days. Recently acquired nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat is also dealing with a hamstring injury. He begins training camp on the PUP list.

The good news is Glenn made it clear that each of these ailments are not considered serious. It shouldn’t be long before each player is back on the field.