Will Jets' First-Round Draft Pick Play vs. Patriots?

The No. 15 overall selection was inactive in Week 2 against the Cowboys

It's a numbers game and someone has to sit. 

The New York Jets have six edge rushers on their 53-man roster. With four, and hardly ever more than five, gameday spots available, the math means at least one member of the position group won't have the opportunity to suit up from week to week.

In Week 2, first-round rookie Will McDonald found himself as the odd man out when it came to the active edge rusher rotation. After filling in for veteran Carl Lawson during the Monday Night Football opener, McDonald landed amongst the gameday inactives one week later as Lawson made his return against the Dallas Cowboys. 

Gang Green dressed five defensive ends each of the season's first two weeks with John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Bryce Huff and Micheal Clemons appearing in both games. 

As the fifth dressed edge rusher on opening night, McDonald logged 13 defensive snaps and was credited with one solo tackle. As for Lawson, the 28-year-old took 23 reps and made two stops at Dallas. 

After rebounding from a torn Achilles, Lawson started all 17 games and logged 7.0 sacks in 2022. He missed practice time while dealing with a back issue during training camp.

With the Jets having invested the No. 15 overall draft pick in McDonald this past April, it seemed inevitable that the Iowa State product would immediately factor into the in-game rotation.

Should the 6-foot-4 McDonald suit up for the Week 3 divisional battle against the New England Patriots, it will likely come at the expense of a veteran such as Lawson or Franklin-Myers. The latter appeared on the injury report this week although his game availability never seemed to be in jeopardy.

"[Franklin-Myers] he’s dealing with a hip, but he should be good to go for the game," said head coach Robert Saleh on Wednesday in Florham Park. "When you look at all the defensive guys with having played almost 90 plays [against Dallas], we’re just trying to take it easy on that side of the ball a little bit."

As for whether McDonald will get the nod in Week 3, Saleh will make the call on gameday.

"Coach [Saleh] will make that decision every Sunday based upon the roster," said defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. "Just like every young player, every rookie that comes in, he has got to learn all of the nuances and all the details within the defense. He is growing and getting better."

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