David Bailey vs. Arvell Reese is the draft comparison the Jets and Giants can’t escape — now it’s about to get real

Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey warms up at practice on July 30, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect They’ll be connected for as long as they’re here. David Bailey and Arvell Reese will be compared throughout their New York tenures given the circumstances of how the rookie defensive standouts were drafted — Bailey at No. 2 by the Jets and Reese at No. 5 by the Giants. It brings back memories of a similar dynamic a few years ago. In the 2018 draft, the Giants took running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick before the Jets took quarterback Sam Darnold one pick later at No. 3. Immediately, it created the dynamic where Barkley and Darnold were linked and compared to one another, given the Giants could have had either player. There was immense pressure to be proven right in their c