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Will McDonald IV

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For other persons with similar names, see William McDonald (disambiguation).

Will McDonald IV
Iowa State's Will McDonald IV (9) jumps to deflect a pass attempt by Oklahoma State's Spencer Sanders (3).
McDonald IV (9) with Iowa State in 2021
No. 9 – New York Jets
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1999-06-04) June 4, 1999 (age 26)
Pewaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:236 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:Waukesha North (Waukesha, Wisconsin)
College:Iowa State (2018–2022)
NFL draft:2023: 1st round, 15th pick
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2024
Total tackles:30
Sacks:13
Forced fumbles:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Wilbert McDonald IV (born June 4, 1999) is an American professional football defensive end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the Jets as the 15th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Early life

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McDonald was born on June 4, 1999, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.[1] He attended Casimir Pulaski High School as a freshman before transferring to Waukesha North High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he lettered in basketball, and track and field in addition to football.[2][3][4]

College career

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McDonald had three tackles with one sack and a forced fumble in four games as a true freshman before deciding to redshirt the rest of the season.[5] McDonald was named first team All-Big 12 Conference as a redshirt sophomore after setting a school record and tying for the national lead with 10.5 sacks.[6][7] McDonald broke his previous single-season sack record and the Iowa State career sacks record during his redshirt junior season.[8][9]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 3+5⁄8 in
(1.92 m) 		239 lb
(108 kg) 		34+7⁄8 in
(0.89 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.70 s 1.63 s 2.65 s 4.22 s 6.85 s 36.0 in
(0.91 m)		 11 ft 0 in
(3.35 m)
Sources:[10][11]

McDonald was selected by the New York Jets in the first round as the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The Jets, who had the 13th overall pick, traded down two spots with the Green Bay Packers as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade.[12][13] As a rookie, he had three sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.[14]

2024 Season

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In his second season, McDonald emerged as a standout defensive end for the New York Jets. McDonald had 28 total tackles including 10.5 sacks (t-12th in NFL), 3 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles, adding 24 quarterback hits (t-7th in NFL)[15]. In week two against the Tennessee Titans, he had 3 sacks and a forced fumble in the Jets 24-17 win[16]. Despite the Jets' overall struggles, finishing with a 5–12 record and missing the playoffs, McDonald's individual success provided a bright spot and solidified his role as a cornerstone of the team's defense moving forward.

References

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  1. ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2023 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 167. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  2. ^ Stewart, Mark (December 20, 2017). "Waukesha North proved to be right place for Will McDonald". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  3. ^ Halsted, Alex (October 3, 2018). "Inside the story of Iowa State rookie defender Will McDonald". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Hogg, Curt (June 2, 2018). "Waukesha North's Will McDonald wins state discus crown". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  5. ^ Birch, Tommy (August 22, 2019). "Iowa State football: 10 emerging players from the Cyclones' 2019 roster". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  6. ^ Peterson, Randy (April 13, 2021). "Iowa State's Will McDonald has come from nowhere to become one of the nation's best pass rushers". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  7. ^ Visser, Ben (August 24, 2021). "Iowa State defensive line has questions, but plenty of potential answers". The Gazette. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  8. ^ Visser, Ben (October 26, 2021). "Iowa State football notes: Another McDouble for Will McDonald". The Gazette. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  9. ^ Peterson, Randy (November 8, 2021). "Iowa State football seeing double on Big 12 weekly awards — with Will McDonald and Andrew Mevis". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  10. ^ "Will McDonald IV Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  11. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Will McDonald IV College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Costello, Brian (April 27, 2023). "Jets stunningly select Will McDonald IV with No. 15 pick in 2023 NFL Draft". New York Post. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Brend, Jake (April 27, 2023). "New York Jets make Will McDonald IV the first ISU first-round NFL pick since 1973". WeAreIowa.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "Will McDonald 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  15. ^ "Will McDonald Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  16. ^ "Will McDonald 2024 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
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