When I put the vote out for this week’s column, I didn’t expect people to select Will McDonald. Especially after Monday’s breakout performance from Allen Lazard who recorded multiple touchdowns for only the second time in his professional career. 

 

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. 

 

Following a difficult matchup in San Francisco, there is growing concern from some parts of the fanbase that maybe this defence isn’t quite as good as we were all led to believe. Of course, it’s far too early to draw any conclusions, and my confidence in this team and this defence is still sky-high. 

 

There were plenty of questions asked when the Jets, loaded with defensive end talent, decided to take Will McDonald 15th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Where would he play and would he get the reps expected of a first round talent? Could the Jets, a team in win-now mode, afford to take a player many saw as a luxury at the time?

 

In his rookie season, McDonald showed flashes of his game-breaking ability that made the Jets select him. In only 99 pass-rush snaps he recorded 3 sacks, 12 pressures, 5 QB hits and 4 tackles for a loss. That’s a sack every 33 snaps and a pressure every 8 snaps. 

 

The advanced numbers provided by PFF also painted a positive picture. His 8.5 pass-rush productivity score was second on the team, and compared favourably to Maxx Crosby over in Las Vegas. His 16.0 pass-rush win percentage was also a top 25 number in the league (minimum 50 snaps) and showed that he could get pressure on the quarterback when given a chance.

 

Over the summer, McDonald worked to become stronger and Head Coach Robert Saleh pointed out the improvements in his game at the start of August:

 

“Will [is] much, much stronger. I know he looks the same, but his strength in the run game, his strength in the pass game is showing up,” Saleh told reporters.

“He’s flashed a little bit. I know he’s gotten a couple of wins on our starting tackles, and I really like the way he’s progressing.”

 

With the departures of Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers over the winter, McDonald was expected to claim a bigger role in his sophomore season. The pressure to perform is always there for a first-round pick, but that pressure has been intensified with the reliance that the Jets now have on the young edge rusher.

 

That larger role came to fruition on Monday night as McDonald was given 18 pass-rush snaps, which trailed only Jermaine Johnson at defensive end.

 

In those 18-pass rush snaps, McDonald was able to generate 2 QB pressures which is in line with the pressure-per-snap numbers showcased during his rookie campaign. Ultimately, however, the pass rush wasn’t able to be as effective as hoped, as the 49ers offence kept them off-balance all night.

 

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the job done by the opposing team. The 49ers offensive line held up well and Brock Purdy was sharp with his decision-making. San Francisco’s QB had 15 attempts where the ball left his hand within 2.5 seconds, making it very hard for the Jets pass-rush to get home. 

 

McDonald spent as many snaps going against Trent Williams at LT (16) as he did Colton McKivitz at RT (16), showcasing his versatility but with little success on either side.

 

One of the most basic concepts of football is running the ball to slow down the pass-rush. McDonald is of course part of the unit that needs to slow that run-game down, but he’s predominantly a speed-rusher at this point in his career. The success of the San Francisco running game put the defence into third-and-short situations that made it difficult for McDonald to pin his ears back and show off his trademark moves to get home.

 

Not only does that create scenarios where Purdy was able to look for those schemed short completions but it gets speed rushers on their heels not wanting to be caught upfield against the run. 

 

If you watch the game again, the performance of #99 might not jump out at you. But don’t expect it to stay that way, starting this weekend against a Titans team who struggled to keep Will Levis clean in a week one loss to the Chicago Bears. The Jets defence will no doubt be keen to get back to their usual dominant ways, and that could well start up front with McDonald.