Will McDonald IV shows superstar potential as key piece of Jets' future
Just a week ago, Jetsdefensive end Will McDonald IV was the subject of trade speculation, as analysts wondered whether the team would part ways with its former first-round pick before the league's deadline. But the deadline passed and the third-year starter remained in New York, even while other top defensive stars, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, were dealt.
This past Sunday's matchup with the Browns was McDonald's first chance since the fire sale to show the Jets that he deserves to be considered a key defensive cornerstone during this rebuilding effort. And he made a big statement at MetLife Stadium by racking up four sacks in the Jets' 27-20 win -- their second straight.
McDonald became just the third player in Jets history to record four sacks in a game. Mark Gastineau achieved this feat twice in the 1980s, while John Abraham was the last to do it, 24 years ago.
Rather than taking advantage of some overmatched rookie, McDonald went up against veteran Cam Robinson, a former second-round pick who's started over 100 games in his career and is earning $12 million this season. He terrorized Robinson all day, with three more pressures and a quarterback hit in addition to his sacks.
Let's consider each of McDonald's four sacks in turn:
The first sack came on 3rd-and-15 early in the second quarter, with the Jets leading 14-7. McDonald is known for his ability to get around the edge, but he worked on his strength in the offseason and that hard work manifested itself here as he moved Robinson back off his spot with a bull rush. Browns guard Joel Bitonio tried to double-team, but got across too late to prevent McDonald from getting upfield and thwarting quarterback Dillon Gabriel's attempt to escape the collapsing pocket.
The second sack, again on 3rd-and-long, saw McDonald rush outside as he used an inside jab step and extended his inside arm to get upfield on Robinson. However, as the veteran lunged to prevent him from getting around the edge, McDonald anticipated that Gabriel would look to step up and span off the block to the inside. So, he was in the perfect position to wrap him up. This play showcased athleticism, technique and instincts
McDonald's third sack came on yet another 3rd-and-long late in the first half, highlighting the importance of limiting yardage on the first two downs to force these obvious passing situations. On this play, the Jets lined him up inside and he blew past right guard Wyatt Teller cleanly with one of his signature spin moves.
Finally, the record-tying sack came on 4th-and-1 midway through the fourth quarter. This was another power move, as he got Robinson on his heels and walked him back several yards to collapse the pocket.
None of these sacks were cheap, and it's interesting to note that, while some may have suspected that Quinnen Williams' disruptiveness may have helped McDonald bolster his snap count last season, he had by far his biggest game of the 2025 season immediately after Williams' departure. Sunday's performance could be a sign that McDonald can benefit from being a focal point of the pass rush.
In order to prove himself worthy of being the kind of player the Jets can build around during the Aaron Glenn era, McDonald also needs to become more reliable and make more of an impact against the run. Some analysts, and even team officials, believe his size could make him a liability in the running game and that this is part of the reason why his snap count has been down in 2025.
However, the stats don't generally bear this out. His percentage of run snaps is actually higher this year than it was last year, and his overall snap count has been steadily increasing anyway, which should give him more opportunities to be productive in generating pressure.
A look at the box score from Sunday, and one sees 158 rushing yards and 4.9 yards per carry from the Browns and may conclude that the Jets struggled against the run and that McDonald was partly to blame. However, a significant proportion of that yardage came from scrambles and gadget plays, as New York held Cleveland to under three yards per carry when the ball was actually handed to a running back.
McDonald played his part in this, as the Browns gained just 27 yards on 12 conventional running plays with him in the game. While he was only credited with one tackle against the run -- an assist behind the line after he blew up a run and initially missed the tackle -- McDonald penetrated a handful of times to force a back to change direction or help bottle up a run near the line. It will be important to continue to see growth from him in this area.
The key to McDonald's game is his incredible athleticism, which continues to impress his teammates. When the Jets spent mid-October in London, Jarvis Brownlee, who had only been with the team a few weeks at that time, detailed how his new teammate's athletic ability had been standing out to him.
He's a big guy, but he's so athletic," Brownlee said of McDonald. His athleticism is crazy."
If he can start to channel that athleticism with a relentless motor, solid technique and the ability to refine his approach to start dominating matchups, McDonald has the potential to have games like he did on Sunday on a more regular basis. This could make him one of the best defensive players in the league, not just on the Jets.
At the end of the season, the Jets will have until May to decide whether to exercise McDonald's fifth-year option, which looks like a no-brainer on Sunday's form. McDonald will then be motivated to prove himself worthy of a big-money extension to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.