In his first and only season at Texas Tech, edge David Bailey said he was firmly focused on what life would hold for him after Saturday afternoon football games.

After being the Jets' top draft pick at No. 2 overall in April and his first week immersed in his first NFL training camp, Bailey said during Saturday's news media session at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center that he hasn't been bowled over by many surprises.

"I feel I kind of started my journey as a pro a little bit early, just in terms of the way I approached the game, the way I was taking care of my body, the way I was approaching the playbook, and learning football," he said. "I took that step at Texas Tech to operate and to function like a pro. So I'd say the transition really hasn't been too difficult or too different. But again, like I'm playing against the best in the world, so it's a little bit different in that regards."

But he has encountered a nearly immovable challenge -- second-year right tackle Armand Membou.

"Oh man, Membou .. man, he's a really good player," Bailey said. "Great, great feet. Low center of gravity. He's strong, extremely strong, like, ridiculously strong. So, he's been getting me better, and I hope I've been getting him better. But yeah, he's been a great, great person to work on my skill set, and challenge me on the field."

Bailey (6-3, 251) entered the draft highly touted, with a résumé to support any and all expectations. He logged 14.5 sacks last season at Texas Tech after playing three seasons at Stanford and earning a bachelor's degree in Science, Technology and Society in fewer than 4 years. The early reviews and evaluations from the team's staff and his teammates have been nothing short of raves -- and this even before the players will don full pads in practice starting Monday.

"Yeah, he's everything that we expect him to be, and it'll be really exciting once we get the pads on," HC Aaron Glenn said during the week. "I think we all understand that through these acclimation days, we're still in shorts, but just to be able to see the energy and the speed and the quickness off the edge, and the ability to hold a strong edge and the way that he wants to play the run game, it's everything that I imagined from that player."

Across the defensive front, in addition to drafting Bailey, GM Darren Mougey and Glenn went about revamping and retooling the unit, signing in free agency edges Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Engabare; trading for DT T'Vondre Sweat and signing free agent DT David Onyemata. They join DT Harrison Phillips and edge Will McDonald IV as the guys DC Brian Duker and D-line coach Karl Dunbar expect to get after the QB.

For Bailey, getting his arms around the quarterback "is the best feeling in the world."

"I play football for a lot of reasons," he said. "Now I can go on why I love football, but getting a sack, that's the one. It's literally probably the best feeling in the world. It's like nothing else.

"Sometimes it feels like you're entering kind of a little bit of a flow state, and like everything's just falling [into place]. And obviously, when I get a sack it's usually because my D-line is doing well, or my linebackers are operating well in the secondary, and the DBs are also covering well. So it's a team effort. But yeah when you get those games, it's a good feeling, and ultimately it's satisfactory."

A flow state, which is comparable to being "in the zone," has been described as a mental state of deep immersion, intense focus and energized.

For David Bailey there's no better place and no better feeling in the world.

And for Bailey, getting his arms around the quarterback "is the best feeling in the world."

"I play football for a lot of reasons," he said. "Now I can go on why I love football, but getting a sack, that's the one. It's literally probably the best feeling in the world. It's like nothing else.

"Sometimes it feels like you're entering kind of a little bit of a flow state, and like everything's just falling [into place]. And obviously, when I get a sack it's usually because my D-line is doing well, or my linebackers are operating well in the secondary, and the DBs are also covering well. So it's a team effort. But yeah when you get those games, it's a good feeling, and ultimately it's satisfactory."

A flow state, which is comparable to being "in the zone," has been described as a mental state of deep immersion, intense focus and energized.

For David Bailey there's no better place and no better feeling in the world.