DynastySignal Scouting Report: David Bailey

Position: EDGE | School: Texas Tech | Class: Senior (2026 Draft Eligible)

The Short Version

David Bailey is the most productive edge rusher in the 2026 draft class — 14.5 sacks and 19.5 TFL in one season, leading the Big 12, on a Texas Tech defense that helped the Red Raiders reach the College Football Playoff ranked as high as #6. He's a Stanford transfer with a four-year college career's worth of pressure production (29 career sacks, 172 career pressures) and the athleticism to line up in multiple spots across a defensive front. The knock is size — Bailey plays at roughly 238–250 lbs, which is lean for a full-time NFL edge role — and whether his production at Texas Tech, in a system designed to free up edge rushers, translates to a messier NFL environment. The ceiling is a perennial Pro Bowl edge threat who makes money on passing downs; the floor is a designated third-down specialist who struggles to hold up against power blockers on early downs.

Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Value |

|-----------|-------|

| Height | 6'2" (6026) |

| Weight | ~238–250 lbs |

| Age | 22 |

| Class | Senior |

| Position | EDGE / DE / OLB |

| Jersey # | 31 |

| Original School | Stanford (2022 class, 4-star recruit) |

| Transfer Destination | Texas Tech (2025 season) |

| Academic Note | Completed bachelor's degree (Science/Technology) in under 4 years; ACC Academic Team |

2025 Season Stats (Texas Tech):

| Category | Total |

|----------|-------|

| Tackles | 52 |

| Tackles for Loss | 19.5 (1st in Big 12) |

| Sacks | 14.5 |

| Forced Fumbles | 3 |

| QB Pressures | 81 |

Career Totals (Stanford + Texas Tech):

| Category | Total |

|----------|-------|

| Tackles | 163 |

| TFL | 42.0 |

| Sacks | 29.0 |

| Forced Fumbles | 10 |

| QB Pressures | 172 |

Film Sources Reviewed

| Source | Frames | Key Content |

|--------|--------|-------------|

| The NFL Film Room — David Bailey College Football Highlights | Texas Tech EDGE | NFL Draft Film | 18 frames (film_001–018) | Game action vs. Arizona State, Kansas, Houston, BYU (Big 12 Championship), Utah; pass rush reps, pre-snap alignments with player circled for identification |

| Big 12 Conference — David Bailey Regular Season Highlights \| 2025 Big 12 Football | 18 frames (official_001–018) | Official conference highlights; confirmed sack/TFL sequences vs. Kansas, K-State, BYU, Utah, Houston, UCF, Oklahoma State; 4th down stops and red zone plays |

| The Draft Hub — 2026 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: DE/OLB David Bailey (Texas Tech) | 19 frames (broadcast_001–019) | Pre-game profile shots, game action, and NFL comparison (Nolan Smith, Eagles #7 used as visual comp) |

What The Film Shows

1. Pass Rush Moves

Grade: 9.0 / 10 — Elite

This is Bailey's calling card and what makes him a top-5 caliber prospect. The film shows a diverse rusher — not just a one-trick speed merchant. In film_001 (black uniform practice/pre-game close-up), you can already see the coiled, explosive stance of a player whose first 1.5 steps are NFL-ready. Against Arizona State (film_002, film_003), Bailey is shown engaging from outside the right tackle's alignment, using a dip-and-rip technique that suggests natural bend around the corner — the single rarest trait in the draft. Against Houston (official_005, official_006), there's a violent bull-rush sequence where he drives through an offensive lineman into the pocket, using low pad level and active leg drive to generate a devastating finish. The Houston pressure sequences (film_014, film_015, film_016) show Bailey as the key pressure generator on multiple collapsed pockets — the QB is throwing off-platform or scrambling because of his penetration. The 14.5 sacks and 81 pressures in a single season are not compilation stats; this film backs them up with multiple distinct rush win varieties.

2. First Step & Motor

Grade: 9.0 / 10 — Elite

Frame after frame, Bailey is near the ball. Whether on run plays trending away from him (film_011, film_012 vs. Kansas), scramble situations (film_004 vs. ASU), or pass rush reps where he doesn't get the sack himself (official_007, official_015), he's pursuing and converging. The pre-snap profile shot from Houston (film_010, circled in red) is telling: two-point stance, wide-9 alignment, weight forward, feet staggered in a way that screams elite get-off. No dead spots, no easing into plays. The motor is legitimate — he shows up in frames across four quarters, in blowouts (official_009 vs. UCF, 35-2) and in tight games (official_005 at K-State, 9-7 lead). The Kansas game in particular (film_004, film_005, film_011) shows him forcing a 2nd-and-29 situation — you don't get there without an explosively winning first step.

3. Run Defense

Grade: 7.5 / 10 — Good, Not Elite

Bailey holds up in run defense but it's clearly his secondary skill set. The 2nd-and-1 situation vs. Kansas (film_001) shows Texas Tech trusting him in short yardage, and the 3rd-and-3 stop against #7 BYU (official_006) in the Big 12 Championship context is the most impressive run defense moment on the entire tape — stopping an undefeated BYU team short in a critical situation. The official_002 (Utah game, 4th quarter, 3rd-and-8) shows a coordinated defensive stop with Bailey as part of the group. But the concern is physical — at 238-250 lbs, he doesn't have the mass to be a true interior disruptor. When he's outweighed by guards and tackles running power, those frames show him more in pursuit than in pile-drags. His run defense grade is built on effort and range rather than raw anchor strength, which is a legitimate concern for early-down use at the next level.

4. Length & Power

Grade: 7.0 / 10 — Adequate, with Questions

At 6'2" with visible arm length, Bailey has the tools. The Houston bull-rush frame (official_005, official_006) is genuinely impressive — he gets underneath the OT's pad level and drives him into the backfield with violent leg churning. The close-up tackle at Houston (official_006) — where the ball carrier is upended and practically dunked into the turf — shows explosive finishing power that belies the listed weight. But the length concern is real. When he's matched inside against bigger bodies (vs. BYU's offensive line at the Big 12 Championship, official_006), he's not winning with power — he's winning with angles. His arm length is not confirmed with combine numbers yet, and at his frame, arm length will be a major Combine talking point. Teams will want to see 33+ inches to feel confident he can keep tackles at bay at the next level.

5. Versatility

Grade: 8.5 / 10 — High

This is Bailey's most underrated trait. The Stanford background means he's played in a real, varied defensive system — not just a one-dimensional Big 12 scheme. At Texas Tech, he aligns in two-point (wide-9 edge, film_010) and three-point (interior 4i/5-tech) stances across the same games. The Arizona State film (film_002, film_003, film_008, film_012) shows him working from different spots on the defensive front, including interior-leaning alignments against heavier offensive lines. He blitzes off the edge, drops into short-zone coverage (not prominently, but he's clearly handled coverage assignments at Stanford based on his career history), and works as a stunting interior rusher in zone blitz packages. NFL teams running modern hybrid fronts — the Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys model — will covet a player with this alignment flexibility. He's not just a wide-9 speed rusher; he can be an every-down piece.

Strengths Summary

Concerns & Risks

NFL Comp

Primary: Nolan Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

The Draft Hub's broadcast comp (broadcast_014, broadcast_015) identifies Smith as the visual comparison, and it's apt. Both are lean, explosive, athletic edge rushers who project as speed-first college producers translating to 3-4 OLB / 4-3 DE hybrid roles in the NFL. Smith was the #30 overall pick out of Georgia, and Bailey's production metrics and frame are similar. Bailey's overall pass rush production (14.5 sacks, 81 pressures) actually far exceeds Smith's college output, which argues for a higher ceiling — but the system and competition context modestly temper that.

Secondary: Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins

Robinson (24th pick, 2024) is the industry comp floated by multiple outlets (Yahoo, Yardbarker). Both are explosive, slightly undersized edge rushers out of Power conferences who rely on first-step burst and effort more than elite frame dimensions. Robinson's first NFL season showed both the upside (pass rush wins, speed to the QB) and the challenge (run defense inconsistency at his weight). Bailey follows the same archetype but enters the draft with more career volume and a larger body of evidence.

Bottom Line

David Bailey is the most complete EDGE rusher in the 2026 draft class based on on-field production, and the film validates the numbers — he's a multi-move rusher with elite explosiveness, a relentless motor, and the football intelligence to align in multiple spots. The weight question will dominate his Combine narrative, but the tape doesn't show a player getting bullied; it shows a player winning with athleticism and technique. Dynasty managers should think of him as a guaranteed pass rush specialist with a realistic ceiling of a Week 1 starter at defensive end — the only floor scenarios involve a very narrow system fit or a size-related scheme limitation that relegates him to a situational role. Either way, he'll produce NFL sacks and he'll produce them fast.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 88/100

Projected Pick: R1, Pick 2-8

Film Score: 88 / 100

[Full report markdown content here - the entire scouting report as written above]

Film Score: 88 / 100