While the New York Jets might not be in the best of shape when it comes to winning football games this season, there is reason to have optimism for the future of this franchise. Their abundance of draft capital is a huge reason why.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets drafted three players in the first round. In 2027, they have another three first round picks. They got such great ammo by trading away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at last year's trade deadline. This season, other players could be dealt.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler identified one possible player for the Jets that would make a lot of sense to deal away this Fall. That player? It's edge rusher Will McDonald IV, who makes a lot of sense as a mid-season trade candidate this year.
Jets' Will McDonald IV tabbed as trade candidate
"The Chargers' Khalil Mack, Jets' Will McDonald IV and Tennessee's Jermaine Johnson II are among rushers who could attract interest in the coming weeks," Fowler writes.
Seeing the Jets trade away players at the 2026 NFL trade deadline would not be a surprise. If they do sell, McDonald is one of the more obvious players who could be on the move.
He's a fourth-year edge rusher who has 22.5 sacks in his NFL career. He had 10.5 in 2024 and 8.0 last season for the Jets.
While not every team will believe in McDonald as an edge rusher worth trading a valuable asset for, seeing McDonald on the move would not be a surprise, with his time with the Jets nearing its end.
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This Jets team isn't going to contend this year, so trading someone like McDonald for a haul, even if it's a third-round pick at best, would be worthwhile.
It's all about the future for the Jets, as rental players or those set to become free agents soon make sense as trade candidates this season.
McDonald, a fourth-year edge rusher who is now 27 years old, would make a ton of sense for the Jets to trade away. Fowler believes teams could show enough interest over the next few weeks to spark a trade.
While the jury's still out on what the Jets could get for McDonald, it seems clear he's someone Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn are going to consider moving this Fall.
