NFL training camp starts towards the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
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For certain players, this season is what some may call “Make or Break,” meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
We’ll highlight those players for the Jets, wrapping up today with defensive end Will McDonald.
2023 Stats
- 15 games (no starts)
- 14 tackles, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery
- Three sacks, five quarterback hits
Why Make or Break?
The Jets came under fire for selecting McDonald with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, mainly because they were bringing him into an already deep position group. His inclusion meant that either he wasn’t going to play much, so he wouldn’t have much of an impact in his rookie year, or that he would be getting playing time over more established players who might be an upgrade over him.
That’s basically how it played out as both Bryce Huff and Jermaine Johnson made strides in 2023, leaving McDonald at the back end of a crowded rotation. He was even a healthy scratch twice.
New York seems committed to giving McDonald a chance to show what he can do in 2024 and will be hoping he makes a similar second season jump to Johnson, who went from a reserve role in his rookie year to a Pro Bowler in 2023. With Huff, John Franklin-Myers and Carl Lawson all departing, McDonald should move up in the rotation, even though the Jets traded for Haason Reddick and recently added some more veteran depth by signing former first-rounder Takk McKinley.
What will break it?
One concern with McDonald is his lack of size, although this is something that Huff and Reddick have each dealt with and been able to overcome in recent years. The Jets officially list McDonald at 236 pounds, but they ideally need him to be closer to 250 and if he can’t sustain that kind of weight, it will hurt his chances of being an every-down player.
If he’s still undersized and fails to improve his play strength, McDonald will struggle to hold up against the run which might relegate him to a situational pass rush role and limit his potential to produce in volume.
The Jets figure to be in win-now mode, so if McDonald isn’t outperforming other veterans on the team, then it seems unlikely they will compromise the defense by force-feeding him reps and suffering through his growing pains as he develops.
What will make it?
In 2023, McDonald got fewer than 100 chances to rush the passer in regular season action. However, when he did, he was relatively productive. He had three sacks, and his pressure rate was considerably better than Johnson’s was in his rookie year, which bodes well for him to potentially make a similar jump if given more opportunities.
There were some flashes of ability to beat his blocker around the edge as McDonald shows good burst and bend, but he didn’t get many chances to build on these positive moments because he wasn’t in the main rotation. If he is this year, then, hopefully, for the Jets, that should allow him to build his confidence.
Although his ability to handle a full workload is a concern, McDonald did hold up reasonably well in limited work against the run last year. Huff was a player who previously struggled against the run, too, but he managed to overcome this and establish himself as a full-time player under the tutelage of defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, so the coaching staff has had recent success in developing this kind of player.
With all the talent around him, McDonald should get favorable matchups and a chance to showcase his talents, but he needs to make the most of his opportunities and avoid mistakes like jumping offside or getting caught inside on outside runs. If he can do this, he could establish himself as a productive member of the team’s young defensive core.
