A lot was made about the Jets cancelling a pre-draft visit to Florham Park by Texas Tech edge-rusher David Bailey, who could be in play for them with the second pick.
But Jets GM Darren Mougey feels people are making too big a deal about that.
“I wouldn’t look that much into that,” Mougey said on Tuesday. Mougey said the team has met with Bailey a couple of times already on the road.
And they also have somebody on their coaching staff with rare insight into this player.
While Bailey played last year at Texas Tech, his first three college seasons were at Stanford.
Jets assistant QB coach Thomas Merkle was on the Stanford staff from 2020-25, so he was there for Bailey’s entire time in Palo Alto, from 2022-24.
While he didn’t coach his position, Merkle was around this player for his entire time at Stanford. He saw how he practiced, what he was like in team meetings, on road trips, and so forth.
Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich can also provide some insight. Reich was the interim head coach at Stanford last year, and that is one of the reasons Merkle is with the Jets now. Reich brought Merkle with him from Stanford. While Reich didn’t coach Bailey, he has great sources on the player from “The Farm.”
But how many NFL teams have a Stanford assistant from Bailey’s entire career there on their staff? Merkle is the Jets’ true ace in the hole when it comes to info on Bailey.
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