Will McDonald IV snaps Iowa State’s first round drought after New York Jets draft him with 15th pick

IOWA CITY — The drought is over.

For the first time in 50 years, an Iowa State player has heard his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft.

The New York Jets selected defensive end Will McDonald IV with the 15th overall pick Thursday night.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he is “very excited” to add McDonald to a “very deep and explosive pass-rushing unit.”

“He’s just got a unique ability to catch the corner, and he’s got elite length to get the ball out,” Saleh said. “He’s going to be special.”

McDonald had five sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss for the Cyclones in 2022.

The Milwaukee-area native received first-team All-America honors in 2021 from the Football Writers Association of America and has been a first-team all-Big 12 honoree in the last three seasons.

McDonald joins running back George Amundson as the only Cyclones to be first-round picks. Amundson was the 14th overall selection in the 1973 draft.

Iowa State has had defensive linemen drafted in back-to-back years — Eyioma Uwazurike was a fourth-round pick last year — after going more than a decade without any selections from the position group.

The Jets will have quite the Iowa State contingent on their 2023 roster with McDonald, running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Allen Lazard.

“It’s a great program,” Jets general manager Joe Douglas said of the Cyclones. “You know you’re getting tough, competitive, smart guys that love the game of football.”

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