Will McDonald

24-Year-Old Defensive EndDE
2023 Fantasy Outlook
McDonald was drafted 15th overall by the Jets in 2023, joining a deep defensive end rotation that also features Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers and 2022 first-round pick Jermaine Johnson. While McDonald could struggle in run support at just 240 pounds, he was a productive pass rusher at Iowa State, racking up 33.5 sacks over the past three years. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a four-year, $16.32 million contract with the Jets in July of 2023.
Quiet rookie season
DENew York Jets
January 19, 2024
McDonald finished his rookie season with 3.0 sacks among his 14 tackles (nine solo) while adding a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over 15 games.
ANALYSIS
Despite being a first-round selection (15th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, McDonald was limited to a reserve role on the Jets' deep defensive line in his first NFL campaign. There were questions about his ability in run support entering the NFL given his 6-foot-3, 241-pound frame, and McDonald was used primarily as a pass-rush specialist in 2023, but he was outclassed in that role by Bryce Huff (10.0 sacks) while failing to exceed 30 percent of defensive snaps in any game. With Huff set to become an unrestricted free agent, McDonald could see a bump in usage in 2024, and the Jets will be hoping he progresses similarly to 2022 first-round draft pick Jermaine Johnson, who jumped from 2.5 sacks as a rookie to 7.5 in his second season.
Read More News
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
2023
2023 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Game Log...
Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
New York JetsJets 2023 DE Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

71265%
59755%
46643%
46042%
17716%
989%
Loading Weekly Snap Counts...
2023 Will McDonald Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Will McDonald's measurables compare to other defensive ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* The 40-Yard Dash, Shuttle Time, and Cone Drill metrics are from his Pro Day. All others are from the NFL Combine.
Height
6' 4"
 
Weight
239 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash*
4.69 sec
 
Shuttle Time*
4.22 sec
 
Cone Drill*
6.85 sec
 
Vertical Jump
36.0 in
 
Broad Jump
132 in
 
Bench Press
0 reps
 
Hand Length
9.50 in
 
Arm Length
34.88 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Will McDonald See More
NFL Draft: Three-Round Mock
340 days ago
A three-round mock that considers rebuild scenarios where Chicago trades Justin Fields and San Francisco trades Trey Lance.
More Fantasy News
Gets first career sack
DENew York Jets
December 11, 2023
McDonald recorded a sack for his lone tackle in Sunday's 30-6 win over the Texans.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Active for Week 11
DENew York Jets
November 19, 2023
McDonald (ankle) is active Sunday versus the Bills.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Questionable due to ankle injury
DENew York Jets
Ankle
November 17, 2023
McDonald (ankle) has been deemed questionable for Sunday's Week 11 matchup with the Bills.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Limited on practice estimate
DENew York Jets
Ankle
November 15, 2023
McDonald (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on the Jets' practice estimate Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Won't play Sunday night
DENew York Jets
Ankle
November 12, 2023
McDonald (ankle) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Raiders.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.