Gang Green Nation
Aaron Glenn suggests the third year defensive end is adding muscle.
As Jets OTAs began, head coach Aaron Glenn made a revelation about defensive end Will McDonald.
I have been wondering for some time whether the Jets would have McDonald put on bulk.
At the time the Jets drafted him out of Iowa State, he was undersized for the defensive end position. It did not, however, seem like he had fully filled out his frame. I had the feeling based on his measurables that he could add bulk without losing speed or explosiveness.
After his rookie season, the Jets made noise that McDonald was going to spend the offseason focused on bulking up.
Then training camp came, and Robert Saleh said McDonald was still playing at his rookie weight. It was a curious development since McDonald was one of the lightest defensive linemen in the league.
McDonald’s second season saw him breakout as a pass rusher with 10.5 sacks. However, he struggled as a run defender. Frequently overmatched, I would even say he was borderline unplayable as an edge setter.
In today’s NFL there is obviously a spot for pure pass rushing specialists. Passing is so prevalent that an edge defender who only sees the field on passing downs can be on the field around half the time.
Still the whole thing seemed curious to me. There was little that seemed to be stopping McDonald from adding bulk that would help him play sturdier against the run. At the point he was drafted, he was in the 46th percentile for height and the 79th percentile for wingspan among edge defenders. Yet he was only at the 2nd percentile for weight. If that’s not a sign that a player is capable of adding weight without sacrificing athleticism, I don’t know what is.
If McDonald can even be a functional run defender, the Jets can keep him on the field for longer and get more benefit from his pass rushing ability.
