POS Firstname Lastname, School, Round 1, Pick 15

The Jets selected Iowa defensive end Will McDonald fourth with the 15th overall pick of the NFL Draft Thursday night.

McDonald (6-3, 239) started 12 games for the Cyclones in the 2022 season and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. He totaled 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, a team-leading five sacks, a forced fumble and four pass defenses.

In 2021, Pewuakee, WI, was named a first-team All-American, first-team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year while leading the team with 11.5 sacks, 14 TFLs and five forced fumbles.

McDonald played five seasons as an All Hurricane, the last two as a starter. He finished with 54 games and 23 starts, 123 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 34 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and eight pass defenses.

McDonald ranks first in school history, and his 34 sacks are tied for the all-time leading in the Big 12, one more than Von Miller’s 33 career sacks).

He’s the Jets’ ninth all-time draft pick outside of Iowa, and he came to the Green & White one year after ISU’s RB Breece Hall selection in the second round last year. Along with Hall, the Jets also earned additional season starts from DE Kenny Neil (1981, seventh round, 169th overall) and DT James Reed (2001, seventh round, 206th overall).

The Jets are then scheduled to be selected in the second round (No. 43 overall) and have three picks on the third day – No. 112 (Round 4), No. 143 (Round 5), and No. 170 (Round 5).