4 Winners & 3 Losers From Jets' 1st Joint Practice with Buccaneers: David Bailey Keeps Shining

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It's time to separate the men from the boys. The Jets, after weeks of competing against themselves, got the opportunity this week to battle against another NFL foe. While the Buccaneers are not on the 2026 schedule, their pedigree gave the Jets a chance to show just how much they have improved.

Joint practices are always a delicate balance. Fans want their team to play well during the week of buildup, but understand that it's normally not a clear indicator of future success.

Jets fans will be hoping that remains the case, as the Buccaneers appeared to "win" the day with a fiery start to practice that included four separate fights on different fields. While New York did manage to make things competitive later on, it felt like a day Tampa Bay will be confident in winning as opposed to the latter.

As always, there were plenty of winners and losers throughout the day. Let's go to each one now.

Winner: David Bailey

It was obvious from the first snap. David Bailey was the Jets' best player on either side of the field today. In one-on-ones, he completely embarrassed Buccaneers tackle Luke Goedeke to the point where the young tackle false-started on the final two plays of the drill. After getting an early jump on the last rep, Goedeke tried to smack talk Bailey, who promptly threw a punch and started a brawl.

Excellent fire and speed, but the Jets would like to see more discipline from their second overall pick (more on that later).

In team drills, Bailey was just as dominant, picking up multiple sacks, including one against Tampa's starters where he orchestrated an excellent rip move and would have tackled Baker Mayfield within two seconds of the snap coming to him.

David Bailey would have just recorded a sack in team drills. Oh man what a move 👀👀#Jets
— Nick “Mike Farrell” Faria (@Nick_Faria1720) August 11, 2026

Jets fans have never seen a player show this much of an impact in his first-ever training camp. If Bailey can put this together come Week 1, we could be looking at the next great superstar edge rusher.

He's that good.

Loser: Geno Smith

Let's start with the positives. First, Geno Smith's red-zone period remains his strength, as he threw two touchdowns in the period. Cade Klubnik was also quite solid, albeit with some missed throws as well. New York's quarterback room salvaged the day at the end.

But it doesn't take away from the poor start.

Isaiah Williams finds himself wide open for a deep completion. Geno found him despite pressure.

Next play is picked off with Geno going across his body.

Just ugly day for Geno #Jets
— Nick “Mike Farrell” Faria (@Nick_Faria1720) August 11, 2026

In a two-drill sequence, Smith failed to complete any pass beyond five yards and was picked off twice, including one that would have gone for a touchdown. Much of New York's offensive struggles stemmed from the defensive blitz disguises that Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles used throughout practice. It was a good lesson to learn from in that case.

But it does not take away from the fact that the Jets' offense stumbled through most of practice. And a big reason for that was Smith's inaccurate throws and poor decision-making.

Winner: Mason Taylor

Tuesday was the best day of training camp for second-year tight end Mason Taylor. He also came through with his best catch. On the first play of a red zone drill, Taylor lept up into the air and caught a deep pass across his body. It was a difficult catch for any receiver to make. But Taylor made it.

That's the kind of play the Jets will need from Taylor going forward, especially with Kenyon Sadiq in workout clothes as he recovers from hernia surgery.

More importantly, Taylor lived over the middle of the field and caught several passes on the day with large completions. Without any drops, the LSU product showed why he is a key cog in the Jets' passing offense today.

Losers: Jets due to discipline concerns

Over the last few seasons, it appeared that the Jets struggled mightily with discipline. This year might be the same, and the several fights showed why. Whether it was Armand Membou checking a Buccaneers edge rusher after a play, or Bailey throwing a punch after winning a rep, the Jets need their best players on the field at all times if they are going to be better than last year.

Yet another fight: Membou and A’Shawn Robinson. Membou had his helmet ripped off and took umbrage. And that triggered a melee. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 11, 2026

Fighting won't help anyone. In Membou's case, he watched from the sidelines at the end of practice due to his last fight. New York cannot afford to lose him, and today was a good reminder of that.

Add in several false start penalties and holding calls and the Jets still have a long way to go here.

Winner: Brandon Stephens

Mayfield found plenty of wins on the day while attacking zone coverage. What he struggled with was throwing one-on-one, especially against Brandon Stephens. In his second year as the starting corner in New York's secondary, Stephens made multiple good plays in coverage throughout the day.

His best came in a team session and a one-on-one deep shot to Chris Godwin. Mayfield's pass was on the money, but Stephens stepped up in a major way to come through with an excellent deflection. It was the kind of play that showed his improvement from last year.

Loser: Jets' defensive scheme

The Jets are going to have two main problems this season on defense if Tuesday's practice is any indicator of the future. First, New York's aggressive nature with their edge rushers will leave them susceptible to screen passes. Tampa Bay saw plenty of big offensive plays thanks to that very concept.

Second is their four-man front. The Jets built their defense with the unofficial goal of turning more to a 3-4 alignment. In doing so, though, the team also showed its desire to run with four-man fronts. Throughout the last week, the four-man fronts have been gashed against the run, just as they were today.

New York's defensive line is going to be better than last year. But it will be a challenge if they can't win with four down linemen and need five to do so. It's something to look out for going forward.

Winner: Isaiah Williams

Before practice, Jets receiver coach Shawn Jefferson turned heads when he called Isaiah Williams the "heartbeat" of the offense. Normally, that title should befall the likes of Garrett Wilson or Smith. Instead, Williams showed exactly why today.

Isaiah Williams jogs during practice. — Isaiah Williams has exceeded expectations throughout the Jets' training camp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He wasn't perfect. Williams dropped a touchdown pass in the red zone late. But throughout the day, he seemed to be the only one willing to mix things up against the Buccaneers' defense, which had toyed with the Jets' offense.

In one run play, Williams decked a Buccaneers linebacker while blocking. On the next play, Williams made a catch and came up jawing at the opposition.

It's good to have those types of players on the roster. It's even better that Williams continues to show his mettle every time he touches the ball.

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