Will McDonald’s hops cannot be questioned
New Jet Will McDonald IV hasn’t made an impact on the field yet, but his freakish athleticism is already turning heads.
After selecting McDonald with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, the Jets’ official Twitter account posted a video showcasing McDonald’s gifts, headlined by the 6-foot-3, 239-pound defensive end jumping over a parked SUV.
.@WILL_JUN1OR is a different kind of athletic 🤯 pic.twitter.com/28Z5Uubghc
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 28, 2023
Jumping over cars, doing spinning backflips, and pulling off Mac McClung-level dunks may not directly translate to the football field, but they are clear examples of McDonald’s immense athletic talent. McDonald recorded a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.66 out of 10, highlighted by his 36-inch vertical jump and 132-inch broad jump.
On the field, McDonald is a dangerous pass-rush specialist who finished his time in Ames tied with Von Miller as the all-time leader in sacks in Big 12 history, recording 34 sacks for the Cyclones.
The Jets are hoping McDonald can bring that rush experience with him to New York, joining the likes of Carl Lawson, Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, and others to give New York an endless supply of edge threats to get after quarterbacks.
We won’t know whether the Will McDonald pick will be a hit or a miss for at least a few years, but one thing is for sure: if McDonald does end up a miss, it won’t be due to a lack of athletic talent.
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