Jets GM Says Don't Read Into Bailey Visit Cancellation, But Two Days Before Draft, Nobody Knows What They're Actually Doing

Two days out from the NFL draft and the New York Jets are playing it close to the vest. With the second overall pick locked in, the team could be eyeing Ohio State's Arvell Reese or Texas Tech's David Bailey. But here's the thing that has everyone wondering: the Jets canceled Bailey's scheduled top-30 visit last week, and nobody can quite figure out what that means.

Jets GM Darren Mougey says don't read into it. "In regard to David, we had good touch points with him at the combine, we went to his pro day, had a good dinner with him, and we were just kind of juggling our 30 visits and how to use them," Mougey said at a predraft news conference on Tuesday. "I wouldn't look too much into a cancellation because there was other ones that we may have changed as well."

The Draft Advantage of Picking Second

The Jets haven't had the luxury of picking this high very often. With Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza widely expected to go first to the Las Vegas Raiders, New York has the rare advantage of knowing exactly who will be off the board before they make their move. It's only the fourth time in franchise history the Jets pick second, and the most recent was 2021 when they selected Zach Wilson at quarterback.

"It's a little different. It's nice, right?" Mougey said, preparing for his second draft as the Jets' GM. "We think we know what's going to happen at one. We have these pool of players and I'm like, 'OK, let's dive in.' We know we're going to get one of these players. So it's good, but it hasn't changed the process of doing our due diligence."

The Mystery Remains

So Bailey's canceled visit wasn't a red flag, according to the Jets. Just part of the normal juggling act that comes with managing 30 visits before the draft. Whether that's true or whether the team has already zeroed in on Reese instead? We'll find out soon enough.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.