There’s no suspense about who the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft will be, as the Raiders haven’t hidden their plans to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The suspense begins at No. 2.
And at the moment, Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese is the favorite to be the second overall pick in the draft. Multiple sports books now have Reese in the range of a -135 to -150 favorite. Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, who had previously been favored to go No. 2, is now an underdog in the +100 to +110 range.
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The Jets own the No. 2 pick and recently canceled a planned visit with Bailey. Reese did take a visit to the Jets’ facility. The shift in odds may come from a perception that the Jets canceling the visit means they’re not taking Bailey.
But that’s not necessarily a good read on the situation. It could just as easily be that the Jets have already decided they like Bailey so much that they know they’re taking him and don’t need to use one of their 30 league-permitted visits on him. If you’ve already decided to hire someone, there’s no need to call him in for another job interview.
Reese and Bailey are considered the two best pass rushers in this draft, and the one who doesn’t go second may go third. We’ll find out on Thursday night.
