The Jets added to their deep group of pass-rushers when they selected Iowa State defensive end Will McDonald with the 15th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft back in April. The team has been raving about him ever since and that continued recently.
Head coach Robert Saleh recently spoke again about his first-round rookie, saying he “looks the part”.
“I love his personality,” Saleh said, via the Jets official website. “He is a dude, man. He’s got tremendous length, bend just going through drills. I know there hasn’t been much O-line, D-line [1-on-1s], but it’s freakish — his ‘bendability’ and burst off the ball.
“Obviously, 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. 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 [snaps]. He’ll be part of the rotation.”
One task that still needs to be done this summer is getting McDonald under contract. He and second-round pick Joe Tippmann are the only remaining draft picks still unsigned.
McDonald himself even said he wants to add weight. “Definitely one thing I really want to work on is gaining weight,” McDonald said. “I’m currently at 242 right now, but I’m trying to get 248.”
Saleh has been excited about McDonald’s potential since they day he became a Jet, even telling McDonald how he could be used as a “4i” defensive lineman, a better fit than the wide-nine he played in Iowa State’s 3-man front.
Even in that wide-nine, McDonald set a Big 12 record with 34 career sacks, breaking Von Miller’s record of 33 sacks. The Jets hope that at least some of that production will carry over into the pros. If so, the Jets could be putting a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.
