Jets Select DE Will McDonald IV Round 1 Pick 15

[Bobby816]

5 hours ago, NYJets4716 said:

A lot of fans weren't fans of the Sauce pick last year and changed their minds once they saw that we were getting an elite talent. 

The draft last year was different bc of all the quality picks we had.

 

I didn’t want Sauce bc I didn’t think CB was a huge need for us and thought WR and DE were bigger needs. So that’s what I said I wanted at 4. I always loved sauce the player. And being that we drafted a WR at 10 and traded up into round 1 for a DE… obviously I loved the draft after how it all went down. That’s why I will always say let the whole draft go down before judging it. Drafting McDonald wasn’t as bad since we went OL back to back picks after that.

 

I’ll remember this draft and keep an eye on JSN and Kancey’s careers bc that’s who I would’ve went with. I also would’ve went JMS at 43 instead of Tipp… but I didn’t dislike the pick. Both should be starters in the same city, so that comparison should be right in our faces.

[jetfuel34]

7 hours ago, NYJets4716 said:

A lot of fans weren't fans of the Sauce pick last year and changed their minds once they saw that we were getting a elite talent. 

I was one of the few. I even said he would be the best CB in the league by year 2. I even went as far to say he will change the game as a CB and gone on as one of the best ever CB. 

Now with the McD guy I did not really look at him. Now that I have had time to look at him he looks like a guy that we need. Now I know why the Jets where jumping up and down and giving high fives on this. He is a Micah Parsons type of player. He has that bend and speed to be like him. This guy is going to be a beast on the edge. I think he comes in as a 8-10 sack guy. He has the ability to put up 15 sacks if Saleh uses him right which I think he will. I'm getting very excited about him. I think JD had the media and other GM's fooled. Everyone thought they would go T but like I said before this T class is trash. Wright going that high is a joke. I think the joke is on Pitt when they moved up for Jones. He will be a career swing tackle. The Jets want McD and where scared that the Pats might take him. Once that trade happened I did not see in the war room panic. I do think JD did shop the pick to see what he could get like all GM's should do. I would always look to trade just to see what is out there. I'm not as high on JJ as most people are and I think McD is not better but A LOT better than JJ. 

[NYJets4716]

3 hours ago, jetfuel34 said:

I was one of the few. I even said he would be the best CB in the league by year 2. I even went as far to say he will change the game as a CB and gone on as one of the best ever CB. 

Now with the McD guy I did not really look at him. Now that I have had time to look at him he looks like a guy that we need. Now I know why the Jets where jumping up and down and giving high fives on this. He is a Micah Parsons type of player. He has that bend and speed to be like him. This guy is going to be a beast on the edge. I think he comes in as a 8-10 sack guy. He has the ability to put up 15 sacks if Saleh uses him right which I think he will. I'm getting very excited about him. I think JD had the media and other GM's fooled. Everyone thought they would go T but like I said before this T class is trash. Wright going that high is a joke. I think the joke is on Pitt when they moved up for Jones. He will be a career swing tackle. The Jets want McD and where scared that the Pats might take him. Once that trade happened I did not see in the war room panic. I do think JD did shop the pick to see what he could get like all GM's should do. I would always look to trade just to see what is out there. I'm not as high on JJ as most people are and I think McD is not better but A LOT better than JJ. 

Yeah I remember saying that Sauce was a unique talent at CB and people said nah he ain't close to Ramsey level and would be a waste at #4.  His unique size/hips/and confidence was what this defense needed at that time. Now we landed a possible generational player. 

 

Will McDonald is a great fit for this defense and does things we really didn't have besides Huff.  There is a rumor the Jets were never going to take Broderick Jones that they leaked that information out because they really liked McDonald.  Plenty of scouts and people in the know had McDonald rated very highly as a pass rusher. 

Its amazing how this team lacked a stud EDGE for decades and fans aren't on board with potentially landing one. You can  never have too many pass rushers, especially in this style of defense. 

[Abe56]

 

[jetfuel34]

2 hours ago, Abe56 said:

 

This is why I like the pick more and more. I think Saleh and JD has this guy in mind all along. When the Packers made the swap and Pitt moved above us I'm sure the room was quit. Once he fell to them they where pumped. This is why they where all yelling and giving high fives. This guy was a secret becasue I never even looked at him. Then again I never really looked at edge guys. I think he can be a Jason Taylor type guy. 

[ekill08x]

This is a pick that is going to really go under the radar until he gets the majority of the snaps and starts to cause havoc.

[NYJets4716]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:13 AM, Abe56 said:

 

That ability to bend is something we lacked.  He is going to be a problem. He has some good moves as well, I have a feeling we are going to be pleasantly surprised with McDonald. He has a great number as well, #99. 

 

Jermaine Johnson is perfect for strong side DE, where as McDonald is perfect for weakside.  

[dll2000]

This guys may surprise some people.   I didn't see a more skilled pass rusher in draft.

Simulators had him going in 3rd and then later in 2nd.   I said in Bears forum he would probably go in first after I watched him.

His bust risk is he is a ballooned up light heavyweight playing heavyweight.  His natural frame isn't that big.

Also, his college D played him at 4 tech a lot.   That may have helped him actually as he had to learn to battle bigger, stronger guys in his face and deal.

In NFL he will be given space to work.

If I was a betting man, I would throw some money on him with odds being DROY.

 

[xrade]

39 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

If I was a betting man, I would throw some money on him with odds being DROY.

I doubt he gets enough snaps for that.  I view him as a starter next year when Lawson and Huff are potentially gone.  Too many mouths to feed right now for playing time. Lawson and JFM will get the bulk with the rest of the snaps divvied out to Huff, Clemmons, McD, and  Johnson.

[dll2000]

11 minutes ago, xrade said:

I doubt he gets enough snaps for that.  I view him as a starter next year when Lawson and Huff are potentially gone.  Too many mouths to feed right now for playing time. Lawson and JFM will get the bulk with the rest of the snaps divvied out to Huff, Clemmons, McD, and  Johnson.

Ah I didn't know they decided to keep Lawson.  Still I bet he flashes.

How is Rodgers?  Did he practice today?

 

[jetfuel34]

3 hours ago, dll2000 said:

Ah I didn't know they decided to keep Lawson.  Still I bet he flashes.

How is Rodgers?  Did he practice today?

 

Yes and had a scare for injury like Lazard but nothing to worry about. 

[jetsfan4life51]

Had no idea his name is Wilbert. 

[xrade]

49 minutes ago, jetsfan4life51 said:

Had no idea his name is Wilbert. 

Seriously?  Ok now I am back to hating the pick.

[Bobby816]

On 5/26/2023 at 6:29 AM, jetsfan4life51 said:

Had no idea his name is Wilbert. 

You have to ball out with a name like that.

[Big T]

I am convinced that McDonald was not the Jets first choice, but I am equally convinced they stayed true to their board and took the BPA.

Likewise, looking at the Jets pass rushers going into 2025 there are a ton of questions. Do the Jets sign Brice Huff or is he traded during the season to a team in the hunt for a playoff birth and get a solid return on the trade?

Do they keep Huff and let Lawson walk? Lawson took a cut, so the motivation is there to produce or be regulated in the NFL to part time duty and no where near the contract the Jets gave him 3 years ago.

Again that is if he can remain healthy. So in drafting McDonald it makes a great deal of sense. Then the question has to be if one of the top OL were available would the Jets have passed on McDonald.

IMHO, the Jets in a perfect draft scenario would have drafted an OT and C in the first 2 rounds. The later round picks were value picks and I think RB and CB were excellent picks. The TE may never see the light of day with all the positives, he is by all assessments a major project and buried so far back on the depth chart he could find himself the "Waterboy".

So given the predicament the Jets are in at DE/PR/OLB, trading Huff is not a good idea and allowing Lawson to prove his worth makes all the sense in the NFL world.

Worse case scenario is that the Jets go into 2025 with McDonald and J.Johnson at DE/ER and have to either draft another PR or sign one in FA. 

So drafting McDonald was a good pick, perhaps not the number 1 on their board, but one which provides insurance in the event the personal short term changes.