Written off as a bust only weeks ago, New York Jets' second-year edge rusher Will McDonald is in the midst of a stunning month-long makeover.
"Just his approach this offseason, this training camp, and the early part of this season has been a 180 flip," said Jets' defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. "It's not necessarily that it was bad last year, it's just he was a rookie and he was young. He was finding his way and he was learning how to operate in this league and be successful in this league."
McDonald, the No. 15 overall selection at the 2023 NFL Draft, played fewer than 20 percent of defensive snaps as a rookie, but has stepped up into a much more significant role this season. Through three weeks, he leads the AFC with 5.0 sacks.
According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald has generated pressure on 10 of his 62 pass rush snaps this season - a solid 16.1 percent clip. He has been on field for more than 50 percent of the defense's reps.
"I still don't think he's even reached where he's going to go. He's only a second-year kid. There's still parts of his pass rush that need to improve," said fourth-year head coach Robert Saleh. "Will's learning every day. He strains every day. He works every day and because of it, I think he's going to continue to get better."
McDonald needs to show more consistency over time while also improving against the run. There appears to be plenty of confidence in the young edge rusher internally at 1 Jets Drive.
"He's just been intentional and deliberate about everything that he's done," said Ulbrich.
The arrow seems to point up for McDonald with some fans even promoting him as an early Defensive Player of the Year candidate. It's quite a reversal from preseason sentiment.
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