Should Jets Be Concerned Over Will McDonald?
Will McDonald's first season as a member of the New York Jets may not have gotten off to the kind of run he may have wanted, but it drew similar comparisons to another first-rounder picked by the team in Jermaine Johnson.
McDonald produced three sacks in his rookie season, half a sack more than Johnson's first year. As he prepares for his sophomore season, the Jets are hoping for another sack production jump to a young offensive line.
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As good as McDonald is expected to be, though, he doesn't carry the same frame (6-3, 241 lbs) as Johnson (6-5, 262 lbs).
With that difference in size, are the Jets smart to trust McDonald to have Johnson's kind of jump?
Despite his smaller frame, and lack of legitimate jump in size during offseason workouts, New York is still very much complimentary of McDonald's work in the offseason.
Head coach Robert Saleh called McDonald a "thinner frame" than someone like Johnson, but his speed and versatility on the edge is still something that many organizations are trying to duplicate with their own players.
So while McDonald may not have the frame of the likes of Johnson, that doesn't mean he won't be in line for a career year. In fact, his speed and body frame might just put him in a better position for success this season over New York's other edge rusher.