FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets' rookie minicamp opened with a familiar sight on the practice field, and it wasn't just the No. 2 overall pick making his debut.
When David Bailey stepped onto the grass for the first time with the Jets, head coach Aaron Glenn couldn't help but smile. The rookie edge rusher was wearing No. 31 — the same jersey number Glenn wore during his eight seasons with the team as a Pro Bowl cornerback.
"I really didn't notice that until he picked it here," Glenn said with a grin after Friday's practice. "He has to show out, I guess, with that number."
Bailey, the highest defensive player selected by the franchise in this year's draft, is already making an impression. The 22-year-old Texas Tech standout signed his rookie deal — a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth approximately $54.7 million — earlier in the day, officially locking in his place as the centerpiece of the Jets' defensive rebuild.
Considered by many scouts to be the most pro-ready edge rusher in the draft class, Bailey brings a polished pass-rushing arsenal and a relentless motor to a defense looking for a spark. But it was a moment of shared history that truly connected him with his new coach.
Two weeks ago, after flying to New Jersey from Pittsburgh the day following the draft, Bailey sat in Glenn's office with his mother and sister. That's when the coach revealed a special keepsake.
"He showed me like a little poster board of his jersey," Bailey recalled. "It was a cool moment."
Glenn, the Jets' first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in 1994 out of Texas A&M, wore No. 31 for all but two seasons of his 15-year NFL career. The three-time Pro Bowler briefly switched to No. 26 during his time with the Dallas Cowboys, but otherwise kept the digits close through stops in Houston, Jacksonville, and New Orleans.
For Bailey, the number is more than just a coincidence — it's a tradition. He wore No. 31 during his standout days at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. At Stanford in 2022, he had to switch to No. 23 because cornerback Zahran Manley, a senior, already had No. 31. Bailey kept that number the following season when freshman cornerback Aaron Morris took over No. 31.
But when he transferred to Texas Tech ahead of last season, Bailey reclaimed his familiar jersey. Now, with the Jets, he's back in the number that has followed him through every stage of his football journey.
As Glenn watched his new pass rusher go through drills Friday, the nostalgia was hard to miss. For a franchise looking to turn the page, having a player who embodies both the past and the future might be exactly what the Jets need.