The New York Jets desperately needed Will McDonald to step up in 2024 and he has done so emphatically.
Through the season’s first three games, McDonald has registered five sacks. That is the second most in the NFL only behind Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions who has 6.5.
“Since individual sacks were first tracked in 1982, only one player in Jets history had more sacks than McDonald (five) through three games — legendary pass rusher Mark Gastineau. He had eight on his way to the NFL single-season record of 22 (since broken) in 1984,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed in a column posted on Sunday, September 22.
Not only has McDonald made noise this season, but when you pair it with his rookie campaign you can smell a historic trend.
“In one-plus season, he has eight sacks in 152 pass rushes — one sack every 19 rushes. Consider: The 2023 NFL sack champion, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt, averaged one sack per 27 rushes,” Cimini added.
That’s some pretty good company.
Jets Needed McDonald and He Has Delivered
When the Jets turned in the card that read Will McDonald, pass rusher, Iowa State at No. 15 overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft – it made headlines for all of the wrong reasons.
The Jets were made fun of for reaching for a pass rusher and analysts pointed out they had much bigger needs.
New York’s message was steadfast – we will always select the best player available, regardless of position.
The noise certainly didn’t quiet after McDonald’s rookie season. He only appeared in 19% of the defensive snaps in 2023. That was the lowest snap percentage of any Jets first-round pick since pass rusher Vernon Gholston in 2008.
Last year, McDonald was a luxury rotational pass rusher. This season the Jets needed him to become much more than that.
They lost Bryce Huff in free agency, John Franklin-Myers was traded away, Jermaine Johnson blew out his Achilles, and Haason Reddick never reported for training camp and remains MIA.
That turned the spotlight to McDonald. Whether fair or unfair, the Jets banked on McDonald making a massive leap in his development to save their defense and quite frankly their team.
McDonald said after the Week 3 game versus the New England Patriots that the Jets needed him, his teammates needed him, so he had no choice but to step up and help out his team.
Jets Utilizing Some Smoke and Mirrors on Defense
McDonald has looked like Superman for the Jets, but he has also gotten some help from his defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
The green and white normally don’t blitz a ton. In 2023 they only blitzed 26% of the time on third down which was the lowest percentage in the league, per StatMuse.
Against the Pats, the Jets flipped the script.
“They blitzed on 40% of the dropbacks, the highest rate in the Robert Saleh era, per Next Gen Stats” via ESPN’s Rich Cimini on social media.
Cimini said on X previously Twitter, “It wouldn’t be a surprise if they take a similar approach next Sunday vs. rookie QB Bo Nix.”
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