Will McDonald trade request shows how Joe Douglas continues to haunt Jets

New York Jets pass rusher Will McDonald, whom Joe Douglas picked No. 15 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, with Christian Gonzalez and Jaxon Smith-Njigba still on the board, has requested a trade amid the Jets' 2-7 start to the 2026 season. McDonald's Jets tenure may be coming to a close despite his fifth-year option being picked up.

McDonald was a big swing from Douglas, who was in the fanbase's good graces when the 2023 Draft came along. After using his top two picks on McDonald and offensive lineman Joe Tippmann, Douglas used his early Day 3 picks on Carter Warren and Israel Abanikanda before polishing things off with Zaire Barnes, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and Zack Kuntz.

Douglas' 2022 Draft class, which featured Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall, bought him a ton of time in the minds of Jets fans. His 2023 class, and many of his subsequent hauls, contributed to a roster that was threadbare once the Aaron Rodgers experiment crashed and burned.

Will McDonald shows what a mess New York Jets' 2023 NFL Draft class was

McDonald is an NFL player, and he may just need a change of scenery to get back on track. However, he has consistently been one of the worst run defenders (if not the outright worst) in the league, and his pass rush runs too hot and cold to be a quality starter. Every breakout game is followed by a month of nothing.

Tippmann is the only worthwhile pick in that whole group. Picked higher than many expected and moving from center to right guard, Tippmann has since established himself as a reliable starter and signed a three-year contract extension. Outside of him, this whole class is a complete wash.

Former New York Jets GM Joe Douglas whiffed in the 2023 NFL Draft

Warren started just six games over two years, and that may have been six games too many due to his poor play. Abanikanda was unable to break through in a fairly open running back room behind Breece Hall, and Barnes was never anything more than a special teamer who rarely saw action at linebacker.

Bernard-Converse may not have been managed perfectly, but the Jets never incorporated him into the defense. Kuntz was too injured to make use of his great athletic ability. One draft class can change a franchise's outlook, though the inverse is just as true. Douglas learned that lesson the hard way.

Hindsight is obviously 20/20, especially on Day 3. However, picking Warren over 2026 breakout star linebacker Ventrell Miller, Abanikanda over Puka Nacua and Dontayvion Wicks, and Barnes over Parker Washington and Kayshon Boutte are the kinds of missteps that make it bizarre that Douglas received as much praise as he did.

Douglas' propensity for whiffing on skill position talent, overdrafting athletes who haven't put it all together yet, and needing six years to build a solid offensive line despite that being his alleged specialty all came to a head in this Draft, and the ripple effects are still being felt.

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