Getty The New York Jets have signed Takk McKinley ahead of training camp.
The New York Jets are adding another pass rusher ahead of training camp, signing former first-round pick Takk McKinley.
The team made the signing official via their team website on Thursday, June 13. The move comes after McKinley had worked out with the team during a minicamp tryout earlier in the week.
McKinley isn’t guaranteed a spot on the final 53-man roster. Still, the signing allows him a chance to prove himself at training camp for the Jets, and at worst, a chance to get some preseason film to entice another team to bring him in during the 2024 season.
Takk McKinley’s Football Career
Expectations were high for McKinley coming into the NFL. While he wasn’t met expectations, he’s still had a successful football career dating back to college.
McKinley was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school in Richmond, California. He originally committed to Cal, but was ruled a non-qualifier and forced to attend Contra Costa College.
After a breakout season at the JUCO program, McKinley transferred to UCLA. He had his breakout season as a senior in 2016, racking up 10 sacks and earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors.
That final college season helped McKinley become a first-round pick in the 2017 draft, getting picked up by the Atlanta Falcons. He showed promise with 13 sacks in his first two seasons, but fell off sharply after that.
The Falcons released McKinley in 2020 shortly after his request to be traded by the team. Since then, he’s had brief stops with multiple teams, most notably with the Cleveland Browns during the 2021 season.
However, McKinley hasn’t done much since leaving Atlanta. He was unable to find a home during the 2023 season, but is hoping this opportunity with the Jets will give him a chance to revitalize his career at 28 years old.
A Loaded Room of Pass Rushers
Even though McKinley signed with the Jets, he’s far from guaranteed a spot on the final 53-man roster.
The Jets are loaded on the pass-rushing front. The room is highlighted by Haason Reddick, who the Jets made a move for this offseason. Assuming a minicamp holdout is resolved before the start of the year, the Jets will be getting a two-time Pro Bowler with double-digit sacks in four straight seasons.
General manager Joe Douglas has also spent significant draft capital on pass rushers. Jermaine Johnson was the team’s first-round pick back in 2022. He had a quiet rookie season, but followed that up with 7.5 sacks in 2023.
Meanwhile, Will McDonald IV is still trying to find his footing. The Jets spent another first-round pick on the Iowa State prospect in 2023. He started to carve out a role in the second half of the year, finishing his rookie season with three sacks and a forced fumble.
Those three will headline New York’s pass-rushing group. Other names to monitor include Micheal Clemons, Jalyn Holmes, and a handful of undrafted free agents.
McKinley will need to come ready to compete with some of those UDFAs, as well as a few of the more established players, if he wants a chance at making the final 53-man roster for the Jets.