The New York Jets made their first pick of this year’s draft in style. On a state decked in Jets Green, the New York outfit invited a Make-a-Wish kid to announce the 15th pick of the night. The name that came out, Will McDonald IV, is already sending waves of excitement and anticipation across the Jets’ fanbase.
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The Iowa State defensive end is a player well known for his attitude and his work ethic. His own coach had only words of praise for him, once saying “He terrorizes practice. He can ruin a practice in a heartbeat. Every rep is at an elite level. He’s been in love with becoming the best”. He will definitely be happy that Iowa State has a first-round pick after almost 50 years.
Linebacker Will McDonald IV is headed to the Jets with the 15th pick 👏 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/vtN3NJNKNW
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 28, 2023
What sort of performance did Will McDonald put up at this year’s Combine?
Will McDonald came into this year’s NFL Combine while he was recovering from a 104-degree fever. As expected, he missed most of the drills, except the vertical and the broad jumps. In those two, he managed to surpass expectations with a 36-inch vertical, and a 11-inch broad jump. If nothing else, this would have impressed scouts and teams.
However, he still had his pro day left to prove his worth, which he did. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.62 seconds while wearing a short sleeve hoodie, which would have added to the drag. Nevertheless, it was impressive enough. Added to his 3-cone time (6.60 seconds), and his short shuttle (4.21 seconds), he established himself to be quick and versatile. The question is, will he fit right in with the Jets‘ defense?
