When the Green Bay Packers selected Iowa defensive end Luka Van Ness at No. 13, it looked like pass rusher might have been off the board for the Jets, who moved back from 13 to 15 when they acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Packers.
And then, when the Steelers made a deal with the Patriots to jump up to No. 14 and select Georgia OT Broderick Jones, the best remaining tackle on the board, it seemed like that deal and the Rodgers one cost them the chance to find a bookend tackle opposite a healthy Mekhi Becton.
No worry, because at No. 15, the Jets selected Iowa State LB/EDGE Will McDonald IV, and head coach Robert Saleh said immediately after the pick that was something they coveted all along.
“It’s a passing league, and if you can put the head of the snake on the ground, which is the QB, it doesn’t matter what kind of skill players you have – if you can’t get the ball to them, it doesn’t matter,” Saleh said. “This kid has an elite ability to get after the quarterback, and that’s what excites us about him.”
"Excited to add Will, we "feel like he's one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic pass rusher in this draft," GM Joe Douglas added. "Great combination of skill, production, and athleticism. Fired up to add him to a strong unit."
McDonald, who Saleh said compares to Randy Gregory and Brian Burns, was a menace in opposing backfields in the Big 12 during his college career, posting a 90.2 pass rush grade since 2021, per Pro Football Focus.
And, he is now the third Iowa State Cyclone on the Jets’ roster, along with newly-signed WR Allen Lazard and 2022 second-round pick RB Breece Hall – and it was Hall who sent Douglas the first text after the selection was made.
"That's a great program, and you feel pretty good about what you're getting when an Iowa State player comes in here; you know you're getting tough, smart, competitive guys who love the game of football," the GM said. "Breece was the first text I got when the pick was announced, so I know he's fired up and is excited to be reunited with a friend and former teammate."
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