After coming up short against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the New York Jets will continue their 14-year streak of playoff absence. Between mismanagement of the offense, defensive regression, and the firing of both the head coach & general manager mid-season; a true disaster. The talent on paper failed to come together on the field. Thus, New York can guarantee a top-ten draft pick this upcoming May. Despite these struggles, the franchise has some solace in knowing they have a star on their hands. The development of defensive end Will McDonald IV into a star pass rusher has been a major positive for the season. Initially seen as an afterthought, McDonald has been valuable. His ten sacks thus far have him fourth in the entire league. Will McDonald can be a star on the Jets long term. His development will be a major selling point for the team’s head coach job.
A big positive that we saw today:
The #Jets last two 1st Round picks had phenomenal games.
Will McDonald 2 sacks (could’ve been 3 Geno threw it away). Now has 10 sacks on the season
Olu Fashanu was PERFECT in pass protection on 40+ pass pro reps
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼
(@NYJets_Media) December 1, 2024
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Jets Have a Star in This Defensive End
When the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers last offseason, fans had expectations heading into the 2023 NFL Draft. They hoped to land Broderick Jones out of Georgia to help the team keep Rodgers upright. Alas, the Steelers traded up with New England before the Jets could select. The result led general manager Joe Douglas to select defensive end Will McDonald IV out of Iowa State. McDonald’s resume spoke for itself. He led the nation in sacks in 2020 with the first of two 10.5 sack seasons. While seen as underweight, McDonald’s speed and elusiveness allowed him to become dangerous off the edge. A similar profile to Haason Reddick, Joe Douglas knew he had a future star on his hands. He faced an uphill battle competing for snaps in the rotation with Bryce Huff, Jonathan Franklin Myers, Jermaine Johnson II, and Micheal Clemons during his rookie season.
However, after losing Huff and Franklin-Myers in the offseason, an opportunity emerged for McDonald to make an impact. After losing to the 49ers in week one, McDonald would demonstrate his value with back-to-back dominant games vs. the Titans and Patriots. McDonald finished with three sacks vs the Titans and two against the Patriots for back-to-back wins. These two games surpassed his rookie sack total of three in 2023. Unfortunately, this uptick in production was needed to compensate for losing Jermaine Johnson II to a torn Achilles in Tennessee.
Jets DE Will McDonald IV is ascending to the level of play expected from the 15th Overall Pick. Had his 3rd multi sack game of the season yesterday, bringing his total up to 10.0. pic.twitter.com/4QRSZLqU8k
— NFL Shock (@NFLShock) December 2, 2024
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During the team’s October losing streak, McDonald continued to demonstrate his potential. He finished with a sack in three games in a row against the Vikings, the Bills, and the Steelers. It’s not substantial, but a streak like this against three above-average offensive lines is a great boost for the team. Unfortunately, he would go four games without recording a sack after the Steelers loss. While that was ongoing, McDonald was still entrenched in the top 10 sack leaders this season.
Making History
Thanks to his two sacks vs Seattle on Sunday, Will McDonald is tied with Myles Garrett and Jonathan Greenland for fourth place in the league sack totals. One and a half sacks behind Trey Hendrickson for the league lead. McDonald is also the 12th player in franchise history with a double-digit sack season. His ten sacks are the most by a second-year player in franchise history behind John Abraham in 2001 with 13. He is two sacks away from surpassing Quinnen Williams for most sacks in a Jets season within the last decade. With the combination of McDonald’s speed and a healthy Jermaine Johnson, the Jets have the chance to be dangerous off the edge in 2025.
The Path Forward
Entering this offseason, the Jets will have questions to answer. In need of a new general manager and head coach, the team’s roster could look vastly different. However, this shouldn’t come at the expense of the defense. While they regressed, the team’s defense remains their best component thanks to McDonald’s production and others. The run defense remains problematic after allowing over 125 yards per game. The right defensive coach can fix this with the addition of a premier defensive lineman in the draft. Bringing in a man like Detroit Lions defensive coordinator and former Jet Aaron Glenn would be a catalyst for the defense. Pairing McDonald & Williams with a run-stopper like Kenneth Grant or Mason Graham out of Michigan can have a huge impact on the run defense. Add the duo of McDonald and a healthy Jermaine Johnson off the edge, and the Jets’ defense can get back to their peak from the Saleh era. In a season many wish to forget, Will McDonald has proven himself to be a valuable member of this franchise going forward.
Main Photo: [Vincent Carchietta] – USA Today Sports
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