5 players the NY Jets could've drafted instead of Will McDonald

Let's get one thing straight first — Will McDonald might very well turn into a great player for the NY Jets. While the Jets didn't see much of McDonald in 2023, there's still every chance the talented pass rusher becomes a long-term building block for the franchise. This isn't an obituary on his career.

That said, there are reasons to be concerned or at least question the pick after one year. McDonald played the fewest snaps of any Jets first-round pick since Vernon Gholston in 2023. He flashed at times but wasn't overly dominant in his limited playing time.

More importantly, McDonald is stuck in a loaded position group. He's either going to be relegated to a backup role for the duration of his rookie contract or be used to justify letting Bryce Huff walk in free agency. One of those two things will happen this offseason.

But what if this wasn't the case? What if the Jets went a different route with their 2023 first-round pick? Here are five players who, as of the time of writing, would've been better selections for the Jets last April.

5. The NY Jets could've drafted Sam LaPorta instead of Will McDonald

The Jets mismanaged their offense last offseason — there's no way around it. The team highly overvalued the skill players on their roster and passed when presented with the opportunity to upgrade at certain spots.

While the tight end position was one of the lone bright spots for the offense in 2023, it's clear that the team still needed more playmakers on offense. Sam LaPorta would've given them just that.

The former Iowa star made a Pro Bowl in his first season with the Detroit Lions, finishing with 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-Pro and is firmly established as one of the best tight ends in football after just one year in the NFL.

LaPorta would be drafted 19 spots later than McDonald and would've been a realistic first-round target for the Jets. Instead, they went with a backup defensive end who played just 184 snaps as a rookie.

4. The NY Jets could've drafted Zay Flowers instead of Will McDonald

The Jets could not have messed up the wide receiver position more if they tried last offseason. A large part of their failure comes from how the team viewed the wide receivers in the 2023 draft class.

Multiple reports have confirmed that the Jets didn't have a single first-round grade on a wide receiver in last year's draft. Yes, that includes possible Rookie of the Year Puka Nacua, although it's fair to excuse them for that, given that he was widely seen as a Day 3 prospect.

The same can't be said about Zay Flowers, however. Flowers was seen as one of the top wide receivers in the 2023 draft class, and he lived up to the hype as a rookie, finishing with 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns.

Flowers is already the top wideout in Baltimore and could've been a massive addition to the Jets' offense. Alas, the team put all their eggs in the Allan Lazard and Mecole Hardman baskets instead.

3. The NY Jets could've drafted Dalton Kincaid instead of Will McDonald

There were reports around draft season last year that the Jets had interest in former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. Ultimately, the Jets went with McDonald, while Kincaid fell 10 spots to No. 25 overall, where he was selected by the Buffalo Bills.

Kincaid split time at tight end with Dawson Knox as a rookie, but he still managed to finish the season with 73 catches for 673 yards and two touchdowns. In a year of outstanding rookie tight ends, Kincaid may have been a little overshadowed, but he still produced at a high level.

More of an oversized wide receiver than a true tight end, Kincaid would've been an excellent addition to a Jets' offense that was trotting out Randall Cobb and a trio of undrafted free agents alongside Garrett Wilson for much of the season.

Kincaid would have been an unorthodox selection for the Jets in Round 1, but there's no denying he would've had a larger impact in year one than McDonald.

2. The NY Jets could've drafted Brian Branch instead of Will McDonald

The Jets desperately needed to address the offensive side of the ball in the 2023 NFL Draft, but if the team was going to add a defensive player on Day 1, it would've made sense to target a safety.

The duo of Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams proved to be the lone Achilles heel in an otherwise outstanding defense in 2023. One player who could've completed the Jets' defense is Brian Branch.

Branch was seen by most to be a day-one lock, which is why it was surprising to see him fall all the way to pick No. 45 in the second round. The Lions won't be complaining, though, as they landed one of the finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year in the middle of Round 2.

Branch primarily played in a nickel hybrid role for the Lions, but he starred at Alabama as a safety and would've been an instant upgrade over either of the Jets' starting safeties. If the Jets wanted to go the defensive route, Branch made a lot more sense than McDonald at the time, and he still does now.

1. The NY Jets could've drafted Jordan Addison instead of Will McDonald

Once again, the Jets seriously undervalued the wide receivers in this draft class. While the likes of Zay Flowers and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who also could've been on this list) thrived as rookies, perhaps no first-round receiver was more impressive than Jordan Addison.

The former USC star was excellent as a rookie, helping mask the loss of Justin Jefferson while he was sidelined with an injury. Addison finished his rookie year with 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He did so while also being forced to deal with four different starting quarterbacks — much like he would've if he was drafted by the Jets. The Jets had just 11 receiving touchdowns in 2023. Addison alone had 10.

Instead of trusting the likes of Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Randall Cobb, and a pre-retirement Corey Davis, the Jets could've prioritized adding a wide receiver over a developmental fifth-string defensive end. Unfortunately, we know that's not what happened.