Prior to arriving for training camp, Jets edge Will McDonald IV focused on his health and nutrition with an eye on setting the edge in the run game.

"I added a couple of pounds," McDonald told reporters Thursday following the team's third consecutive practice in pads. "I bulked up a little bit and obviously I'm going to use that more in the run game. Obviously, there is room for improvement in my run game, so that's another thing I'm really big on."

McDonald, one of 12 players to hold a streak of consecutive 8-plus sacks seasons, is an accomplished pass rusher. A twitchy athlete with impressive bend, McDonald totaled 18.5 sacks and 43 QB hits the past two seasons.

"Pass rushing has always been his wheelhouse," HC Aaron Glenn said. "And I think you guys know, I know, he knows that his improvement has been the run game. Listen, he came in this year, he's 240 pounds, he looks really good, I know you guys see that. He took it upon himself to understand, have awareness of where I have to improve at, and I have no doubt in my mind he's going to get better in that aspect."

The Jets addressed the edge position in the offseason with the free agent additions of Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai and the early draft selection of David Bailey. Glenn, who hired Brian Duker as his defensive coordinator, will call plays for a unit that will play both 3-4 and 4-3 and feature 5-man fronts.

"Those are really good guys – good run defenders, good pass rushers," McDonald said. "There are things that I learn off of them and there are things they learn off me, so I think just having those guys in the room helps me.  It helps the rookies and it helps everyone else out."

At edge in Glenn's defense, McDonald will stand up at OLB and put his hand in the dirt at DE. There could be times he's asked to drop into coverage.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "I've always wanted to drop into coverage, get a couple picks here and there, bat balls. It's a little different switch-up, but I think I'll do just fine doing that. You know different scheme and everything, I feel like it's coming along pretty well."

Bailey, the highly regarded Texas Tech product, has shown off his dynamic pass rush ability early in camp. The Jets edges are getting in good work at practice against one of the most talented young tackle tandems in the NFL in LT Olu Fashanu and RT Armand Membou.

"Just focusing on the technique and detail because that's really the big part of it, just homing in on it and getting that down pat," McDonald said of Bailey. "I think he'll be just fine transitioning from college coming into the league. He seems to be doing good now. He's going against guys like Membou, Olu, two of the best tackles in the league.  Just keep getting those repetitive reps and he'll do just fine."

While McDonald and Bailey practiced Thursday, Enagbare (ankle, day -to -day) and Ossai (hamstring, PUP list), were spectators. Enagbare is an edge setter who can rush with power while Ossai, who had 10 sacks with the Bengals in 2024-25, can line up at the rush spot, play the Sam ' 'backer role and drop into coverage. McDonald, one of eight players to have 5 multi-sack performances since the start of 2024, is working on becoming more of a finished product.

"Consistent practice, consistent reps, and us as coaches being honest with him on where he has to improve, and him having awareness of that, and then for us putting him in those positions where we know he that he can excel," Glenn said. "And we plan on doing that, because he's a damn good player and I think we all see that with that player. But every year's a new year, and every year's a year that you can improve. And with his ability, his size, his length, his speed off the edge, we want to utilize that as best we can. But we also want to make sure that he grows when it comes to those things that he's weak at, too."