2026 Draft: EDGE

[manxman2601]

Short arms perhaps, but he’s impressed me of late.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Note - This is not an anti-Bain tweet, it's very much a pro-Mesidor one.

You like Mesidor? I had no idea. .

 

[mayoclinic]

Manx hides it well.

And he tells me to not get attached.

 

[mayoclinic]

I can't find a birth date for Howell. If he will indeed be a 25 year old rookie, that will affect his stock.

 

[manxman2601]

Manx hides it well.

And he tells me to not get attached.

Come on! Your Bell and Reese posts outnumber my Mesidor posts by at least 3-1

 

[manxman2601]

I was listening to Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman breaking down the Miami game and they were talking about an Aaron Donald comp for him. Not in terms of playing style but in relation to just how dominant Bain has been this year.

 

[mayoclinic]

Bain is a bit like a DE version of Donald. Relentless, unstoppable.

I had been thinking of Aiden Hutchinson with less length. Hutchinson just dominated his senior year. Keldric Faulk is more in the Travon Walker mold, though not as freakishly athletic.

Hutchison had something like a 95 PFF grade as a senior, finished 2nd in Heisman voting.

 

[mayoclinic]

My Rueben Bain comp:

 

[manxman2601]

David Bailey, Texas Tech (formerly Stanford), 6-3, 240-250.

I don't know how to rank David Bailey because he's a pure pass rusher and likely won't give you every down reps. however, he also might be the best pass rusher in this draft. Consider:

46.5% pass rush win rate on true pass sets.

Has continued this season as he left of last. Already leads the draftable pass rushers this season with 10 pressures and a 34.8% win rate.

95th percentile get off at the snap.

Forced 5 fumbles last year in limited snaps.

As James Foster says of him: "when you watch him as a pass rusher, he doesn't really lose one-on-one reps.

However!

He doesn't do run defense. Even this season, his snaps have been limited.

Nik Bonitto of the Broncos seems to be the comp for Bailey. Similarly sized, Bonitto has just signed a 25m per year 2nd contract after racking up 24 sacks in three season, including a double digit ack season in his year 3.

I think he's a 2nd round worthy pick so long as you are happy to acknowledge you're getting a situational player with immense upside.

Thinking about the possibility of getting to the playoffs and picking in the 20s, I started re-thinking David Bailey. In the post above I made a comparison with Nik Bonito, a not unreasonable one to make in terms of playing style. Here's another comparison although it's a statistical comp, not a stylistic one.

In 2024, at this stage of the season (5 games in), Abdul Carter had 17 pressures and 3 sacks. Bailey? 31 pressures and 6 sacks. Bailey has a sack in every game this season except one. That one? He had 2 sacks. In yesterday's game he had 11 pressures in a single game.

Then look at the reference to "violent hands" in the strengths part of his scouting report:

SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS​

• First-step explosion borders on elite - consistently the first defender moving at the snap, allowing him to disrupt plays before they develop and dictate tempo against slower-footed tackles.
• 
  
• Possesses rare athletic traits evidenced by making Bruce Feldman's 2025 Freak List - Bailey bench pressed 405 pounds and squatted 550. He has rare speed for a guy at 6-3, 250, having hit 22.16 mph. His new teammate Romello Height is almost as Freaky, having clocked 21.82 mph at 240 pounds.
• 
  
• Shows exceptional bend and ankle flexibility around the edge that can't be taught - maintains speed through his turns and shows ability to flatten to the quarterback without losing momentum.
• 
  
• Coverage instincts surpass most edge defenders, displaying natural feel in zone drops with proper depth and spatial awareness, giving him three-down potential at the next level.
• 
  
• Demonstrates violent hands when engaging blockers - quick to disengage with effective swipe, rip, and club techniques that maximize his leverage advantages against taller tackles.
• 
  
• Motor runs scalding hot with relentless backside pursuit - plays through the whistle with urgency and shows the dog mentality coaches covet when chasing down plays from behind.
• 
  
• Scheme versatile weapon who projects effectively in multiple fronts - can play with hand in dirt as 4-3 end or stand up as 3-4 outside linebacker depending on defensive call.
• 
  
• Consistent tackler with impressive strike zone - wraps up with authority and doesn't rely on arm tackles, generating significant stopping power through his lower half when finishing plays.

Yes, he has issues with edge setting and may only be a role player, or at least, it's one of the aspects of his game that needs improving. Nik Bonito is a role player yet is one of the best pass rushers in the league. I also wonder with his coverage skills he could be used as an SLB to give him extra utility in early downs.

Speaking of those coverage skills. He's only had 3 coverage reps this year but last year at Stanford, he had an 87.7 coverage grade.

I shall just leave you with this note on the effectivness of a DPR

David Bailey Linebacker - EDGE Texas Tech | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Rating: 86.0 Rank: #4 Forty: 4.52 Bailey will make an immediate impact as a designated pass rusher who can wreak havoc on passing downs, but the road to becoming an every-down defender will...

www.nfldraftbuzz.com

 

[manxman2601]

 

[manxman2601]

 

[Clonamery]

As long as he's not 26 or 27.

 

[manxman2601]

Quick wins stressing the tackles. This is what I want and what we lack on the edge.

 

[mayoclinic]

Lots of respect to Dane Brugler, but here was his pre-seadon top 50 from 6 weeks ago:

NFL Draft 2026 rankings: Arch Manning, Caleb Downs in top 5 of Dane Brugler’s initial board

Quarterbacks and offensive tackles could dominate the early rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, but a defensive tackle holds the No. 1 spot.

www.nytimes.com

 

[manxman2601]

Lots of respect to Dane Brugler, but hre was his pre-seadon top 50 from 6 weeks ago:

NFL Draft 2026 rankings: Arch Manning, Caleb Downs in top 5 of Dane Brugler’s initial board

Quarterbacks and offensive tackles could dominate the early rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, but a defensive tackle holds the No. 1 spot.

www.nytimes.com

He has a new one coming out in a week or two. I'm sure there'll be plenty of changes.

 

[manxman2601]

Akheem Mesidor v Florida cut up

 

[manxman2601]

Unblockable speed and burst

 

[mayoclinic]

Unblocked speed and burst

Fixed it for you.

 

[manxman2601]

Fixed it for you.

You can't block someone when they're already past you by the time you come fully out of your stance. i'm fine with my original assessment.

 

[mayoclinic]

Luke Easterling's 2026 EDGE rankings:

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2026-nfl-draft-rankings-edge-defender-rueben-bain-jr-keldric-faulk-tj-parker

Not the greatest class. I'm not impressed with Overton or Dani-Sutton.