Will

McDonald

The Jets first-round pick suffered the injury in the middle of the week, which is never a good sign. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to suit up on Sunday, which will just put a dent in New York’s depth. McDonald has appeared in seven games this year but only has three tackles and one forced fumble, so his loss won’t drastically impact the performance of this defense other than some players getting fewer snaps off than usual.

As is the case with all first-round draft picks, McDonald’s contract is fully guaranteed and includes a fifth-year team option. The deal is worth $16.3 million. McDonald is the latest addition to a Jets defense that has quickly become one of the league’s most formidable units. He notched 13 TFLs and topped 10 sacks in consecutive seasons at Iowa State before his production took a step back in his fifth collegiate season. His slight frame might make him a pass-rush specialist as a rookie, but McDonald should have an impact on opposing offenses out of the gate.

McDonald (6’4/239) is another case of the classic basketball-to-football transition paying off, as the star hooper didn’t end up playing football until his junior year of high school. He quickly rose up the recruiting ranks, ending up at Iowa State where he took two years to acclimate before embarking on a storied career. A three-time First Team All-Big 12 performer, McDonald channeled his prodigious athleticism into 42 career TFL, 10 forced fumbles, and an all-time B12-leading 34 sacks. All three phases of his testing were elite while his arms measured at an elongated 35 inches for the third-highest RAS in the 2023 edge class. The 2021 First Team All-American had a hard time holding up in the run game due to his low BMI and rarely will you see him bulldoze a blocker into the QB. McDonald is a captivating physical specimen who has already come a long way developmentally in a relatively short amount of time. He likely won’t be an every-down edge on Sundays due to his slight build, but a double-digit sack season is well within his range of outcomes.