Rookie Will McDonald Proving Worthy of Role in Jets' Defensive Line Rotation

Gang Green's 2023 first-round draft pick has been noticeable during OTAs

His professional career has yet to turn two months old, but Will McDonald appears to be the plug-and-play piece that one would expect for the No. 15 overall selection in the NFL Draft.

"Will looks the part. I love his personality. He is a dude, man. He’s got tremendous length, his bend, just going through drills," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh at OTAs on June 6.

Gang Green's rookie edge rusher has shown no difficulty catching up to the speed of the game during organized team activities.

"I know there hasn’t been much o-line, d-line, but it’s freakish, just his bendability and burst off the ball and all that stuff and his length," said Saleh. "There’s things from a developmental standpoint, all rookies go through it with regards to a little bit more size, a little bit more power, developing the ability to run through tackles is always going to be the biggest thing for a defensive lineman, but I love where he’s at right now."

McDonald may have flown under the radar in the draftnik community due to the fact he did not compete for a high-profile national title contender, but it appears that Jets' general manager Joe Douglas was targeting the accomplished pass rusher all along.

"Excited to add Will to the team," said Douglas after making the Round 1 selection. "Feel like he was one of, if not the most dynamic pass rushers in this Draft. Great combination of skill, production and athleticism."

Boasting great length, McDonald carried a first-round draft grade, but received criticism for weighing under 240 pounds. Saleh, however, does not foresee a lack of weight as a long-term issue.

"He is long, big. You look at his height, weight and then you see him and you’re like, ‘Wow, he just feels bigger,’" said Saleh during the Jets' rookie minicamp in early May. "There’s no doubt in an NFL program with an NFL training table, he’s going to get another 10-15 pounds."

The 6-foot-4 McDonald possesses a wingspan that exceeds 82" along with nearly 35-inch arms. He has a lot of spring in his legs as evidenced by his broad jump (11') and vertical jump (36"). The former was tied for first place amongst edge rushers at the 2023 NFL Combine while the latter mark ranked sixth out of 31 participants.

"He’s got some freakiness to him from an athletic standpoint," said Jets' defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. "We’ll see how that translates right away because there’s always a little bit of a transition process, but he definitely has some stuff you can’t coach."

McDonald, who tied the Big 12 Conference career sacks (34.0) record during his Iowa State tenure, made Sports Illustrated senior reporter Albert Breer take notice during practice on June 9. 

In Florham Park for an interview with Saleh, Breer tweeted about McDonald's win in a get-off drill and offered some additional insight into the rookie's current status. 

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"... over the last month, the first-rounder has earned his teammates' respect. They see freakish ability there. McDonald's still a bit skinny. But he's got a shot to be real good," said Breer in a three-tweet thread.

McDonald, a three-time All-Big 12 Conference First Team honoree, looks as if he'll fit right into the Jets' deep defensive line rotation from the jump. Veterans John Franklin-Myers and Carl Lawson are the projected starters at defensive end, but Gang Green has shown a tendency to spread snaps around under Saleh.

"He’s got a long way to go, but you guys know as we rotate, if they dress on gameday, they’re going to play at least 20. He’ll be part of the rotation," said Saleh.

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