David Bailey

Draft Projection

Measurements

Athletic Testing

College Statistics

Scouting Report

Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and Unanimous All-American with 14.5 sacks tying for the FBS lead. Possesses an elite get-off that frequently leaves offensive tackles in a recovery state with a signature ghost move, club-swim, and effective speed-to-power transition. The most explosive edge rusher in this class; marginal run defense is his primary weakness.

Player Comparison

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.
• Violent hands when engaging blockers with quick swipes, rips, clubs, and long-arms that maximize leverage advantages and create immediate separation at the point of attack.
• Deep bag of counters including hand swipes, rips, ghost rushes, inside spins, and long-arms that keep tackles guessing and prevent them from settling into comfortable sets.
• Exceptional coverage instincts for an edge rusher with natural feel in zone drops, proper depth awareness, and spatial understanding that provides legitimate three-down versatility.
• Motor runs hot with relentless backside pursuit across the field, playing through the whistle with urgency and showing the mentality coaches covet when chasing down plays.
• Highly productive finisher who converts pressures into sacks at impressive rates, leading the nation with 12.5 sacks and demonstrating consistent ability to close on quarterbacks.
• Scheme versatile weapon who projects effectively in multiple fronts, capable of playing with hand in dirt or standing up depending on defensive calls and situations.

Areas to Improve

• Lacks ideal bulk for setting the edge consistently with frame appearing maxed out around 250 pounds, with Stanford listing him at 238 in 2024 and current weight appearing generous.
• Gets washed out when blockers arrive square on his frame, struggling to establish position and maintain gap integrity once displaced from his spot in run defense.
• Insufficient strength at the point of attack to consistently turn speed to power against good competition, particularly evident when tackles or tight ends get hands inside his frame.
• Shows concerning vulnerability against zone-read concepts and gets caught in no-man's land with indecisive reactions, creating seams for both quarterbacks and backs to exploit.
• Over-pursues with alarming frequency when aggressiveness overtakes discipline, vacating gaps and leaving cutback lanes that experienced runners will hit for chunk gains at the next level.