A first-round pick out of Iowa State, Will McDonald IV broke out as the Jets' sack leader before a late-season knee injury cut short his 2025 campaign.
Will McDonald IV arrived in New York with the pass-rushing pedigree of Iowa State's all-time sack leader and has developed into one of the Jets' most disruptive edge rushers. His ascent continued into 2025 before an injury ended his season early.
Path to the league
McDonald starred at Iowa State from 2018 to 2022, setting the school's career sacks record and earning three-time First-Team All-Big 12 honors along with Big 12 co-Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2021. The Jets selected him 15th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, a pick acquired as part of the trade that brought Aaron Rodgers to New York.
Career highlights
McDonald recorded 3 sacks as a rookie in 2023 before breaking out in 2024 with 10.5 sacks, 28 tackles, and two forced fumbles, a total that tied for 12th-most in the NFL. His development established him as a foundational piece of the Jets' pass rush.
2025 season recap
McDonald led the Jets with 8 sacks and 10 tackles for loss through 15 games in 2025 before a Week 16 knee injury against the New Orleans Saints ended his season, landing him on injured reserve in late December.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Will McDonald IV
- ESPN: Will McDonald IV
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
15 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | jets | 15 | 30 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | jets | 17 | 28 | 18 | 10.5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023 | jets | 15 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- defense
- College
- Iowa State
- Hometown
- Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
