Will McDonald
Position: LB
Jersey #: 9
Date of Birth: June 4, 1999
Height / Weight: 6'4" / 245 lbs
College: Iowa State
Drafted: Round , Pick 15 in 2023 by NYJ
First Team: NYJ (2023)
Last Team: NYJ (2026)
Career Summary
Iowa State pass rusher.
Will McDonald IV played defensive end at Iowa State and finished with a school-record 34 sacks, tying the Big 12 career mark.
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College Career
Consistent pressure for the Cyclones.
McDonald led the Big 12 with 10.5 sacks in 2020 and shared the league lead with 11.5 in 2021. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors again in 2022 and finished with 42 career tackles for loss.
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Path to the NFL
First-round Jets selection.
The Jets selected McDonald with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making him Iowa State's first opening-round selection since 1973.
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Sources for this section
29944, 00-0039142, 1999-06-04, Will McDonald, Will, McDonald
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
#56Defensive Line
MFT Score: 81.2
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.