David Bailey Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Nathan Giese/IMAGN Images)

School:Texas Tech

Class: Senior

Position: EDGE

HT: 6’3

WT: 250 lbs

Background:David Bailey was a 4-star edge rusher out of west coast powerhouse, Mater Dei. Originally from Irvine, California, Bailey was a top 5 player in the state and top 10 edge rusher in the class. David’s older brother, EJ played for Harvard as a defensive end. Bailey was an honors student in every year of high school. David was the Trinity League Defensive Player of the Year after tallying 20.5 TFLs and 15.5 sacks. David Bailey committed to Stanford out of high school over USC, UCLA, and Cal.

College: David became an instant impact starter for the Cardinal as a true freshman in 2022. He recorded 46 tackles and 8.5 TFLs on his way to a 247Sports All-American mention. He led the team in sacks and TFLs as a sophomore with 6 TFLs and 5 sacks. After another productive season as a junior, Bailey transferred to Texas Tech for his senior season. In his one year with the Red Raiders, Bailey was an All-American and First Team All-Big 12 selection after recording 19.5 TFLs and 14.5 sacks.

Strengths: David Bailey is an athletic freak on the edge. He has the quick twitch muscle movements that are simply impossible for offensive linemen to mirror. He has the bend and ankle flexion to set the edge and get around offensive tackles fluidly. He can explode out of his stance and into the point of attack to create serious knockback from his speed and momentum. When going into his counter rush, Bailey plants his foot sharply in the grass before cutting across the body of his opponent, forcing them to shift their weight, which is something that will cause slower offensive linemen to get beat quickly. Bailey has a nice bag of tricks when it comes to pass rushing. He wins with a variety of moves, making him unpredictable. Bailey uses his movement skills on stunts and twists when attacking the gaps. He fires into the gap with such speed, overwhelming interior linemen.

Weaknesses: Bailey’s current size of 250 lbs is likely the biggest he will get, meaning that this is likely the strongest version of Bailey. He is not big enough and does not have enough muscle on his frame to win with strength. He gets out-muscled too often in the phonebooth. He does not have the strength as a run defender to shed blockers and make a play on the ball carrier. Bailey’s lack of strength shows up in the pass rush, as well. He does not like to engage in battles of strength and physicality, instead trying to win with finesse and athleticism.

Conclusion: David Bailey is a smaller edge rusher with the movement and explosiveness to set the edge on every rep. Nobody will be able to mirror him on every rep and he will get into the backfield based on that alone. His size is a concern as it makes him more one dimensional than others at the position. Bailey does provide a unique skillset that will make him an attractive option to transform a team’s pass rush.

Best Team Fits: MIA, DAL, CIN

Player Comparison: Derick Hall

Player Grade: Round 2 (87.3)