David Bailey isn’t a typical rookie.
Not when he was picked second overall by the Jets in last year’s draft, with the franchise looking for the edge rusher to be an anchor on the defense.
But there’s a mixed history when it comes to players selected at that spot, as the Jets know all too well.
In 2022, for instance, the Lions drafted Aidan Hutchinson second overall and he has been a monster in Detroit when healthy.
The year prior, the Jets had the No. 2 pick and went with Zach Wilson. And we all know how that turned out.
So when Bailey takes the field at MetLife Stadium on Sunday for his first regular-season home game against the Packers, he’s aware of what’s on his shoulders.
And it’s why he’s displayed a work ethic that Aaron Glenn praised Friday.
“What he’s doing in between [games], talking about during the week, it’s giving him a good opportunity,’’ Glenn said. “He has everything you want from a young player when it comes to recovery, studying, staying in the weight room [and] nutrition. He’s doing all those things the way you want a young guy to do it — even more, he’s like a vet when it comes to that.”
Bailey said that’s by design.
“That’s an important part of my game,’’ Bailey said after the team practiced Friday. “Being able to be selected where I was and having this opportunity to play in the league and with these guys, I have to take advantage of it. That comes with me doing whatever I can to look to older guys and their work ethic and how they approach the game.”
Against the Titans in his NFL debut in Week 1, Bailey was credited with six pressures, as well as a sack when he ran Cam Ward out of bounds.
Still, there was no game-changing play from Bailey in a victory the Jets controlled.
“It was exciting to be out there for my first game, get my feet wet and get acclimated to the speed of the game and the feel of the stadium and my teammates,’’ Bailey said. “The level of competition was different. The line guys I was going up against were a lot better than they were [in college].”
But Bailey was brought in to make an impact against just those types of players.
As Glenn said, he expects Bailey to be “improving on his craft each week.”
He will be tasked with helping stop the Jordan Love-led Green Bay offense, as Glenn said they’re hoping to keep the versatile quarterback in the pocket and not let him take advantage of the team’s strong receiver group.
As the Packers deal with playing without running back Josh Jacobs, still on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, Bailey and the rest of the Jets pass rushers should be able to attack Love even more.
And given where Bailey was picked, the spotlight will remain on him for the foreseeable future.
“I appreciate it,’’ Bailey said of the expectations. “You’ve got to take the good with the bad and embrace it. I’m working with that mentality and still being another ballplayer out there, having fun. I don’t want to think too much about it, but the expectations are going to be in the back of your mind. But there are more important things to worry about, like helping the team win.”
