RL: Will McDonald IV looks like he's ready to take his next step off the edge with his OTA work. The third-year pass-rusher has increased his weight from 236 to 250 and perhaps he's shaved a few hundredths of a second off his speed in reducing his uniform number by 10/11ths, from 99 to 9. There's no live contact until training camp, of course, but it will be interesting to see if McDonald can build on his leap from Year 1 to 2, when he notched 10.5 sacks and 24 QB hits last season. And it would be ideal if he can team up with fellow rusher Jermaine Johnson, who also rose from his first season to his second, when he became a Pro Bowl player in 2023. No Jet has registered double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons since Shaun Ellis in 2003-04, preceded by John Abraham in '01-'02. Perhaps it's too much to expect Johnson to roar back to his '23 form against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers in the season opener so soon after his Achilles tendon tear early last season. But McDonald and Johnson sooner or later could be a tandem to keep a weekly watch on.
CH: While WR Garrett Wilson has had some flashy catches with his former OSU QB Justin Fields during OTAs, which is not a surprise, the Jet that has impressed me the most has been rookie TE Mason Taylor. Not only has he made a few impressive catches, but HC Aaron Glenn has been impressed with his blocking as well. Glenn said:, "[Taylor] understanding exactly what he's supposed to do and the position, the body language, the leverage, all those things. Man, I really love that." While things change when the pads come on, I think Taylor has an advantage where he is starting his NFL career and he has a high ceiling.