Will McDonald IV Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

 

Will McDonald IV Scouting Report: Iowa State, Edge

 

 

2023 NFL Draft Measurables

Will McDonald IV 40-yard dash: DNP
6’4 / 239 lbs

 

 

NFL Draft Profile

Will was a four-sport athlete coming out of Waukesha North High School in Wisconsin and excelled in all of them. He was a discus state champions and also finished third in the state in the high jump. On the basketball court, he would average 18.3 point to go along with 12.8 rebounds. On the football field, he was a two-time all-region selection and a 2017 WFCA first-team all-state selection. Over his final two seasons, he would rack up 130 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, and 23.5 sacks.

After red-shirting his first season and starting his career at linebacker, Will would eventually move back to defensive end and burst onto the scene in 2020. That season, McDonald would lead the Big 12 and tie for most sacks nationally with 10.5. He’d follow that up with 11.5 sacks in 2021.

Will could have road that momentum into the 2022 NFL Draft, but decided that he wanted to play one more season with the Cyclones. In the end, his pass rushing numbers took a hit. He still led his team in sacks, but finished with only five total for the season (in 12 games). I completed a report on McDonald in preparation for last year’s draft. Did the was the drop in production him falling off? Did he miss a chance to cash in while he was hot? Not necessarily! Let’s check out Will’s strengths and weaknesses.

 

Strengths

 

Full Bag of Tricks

One thing I’ve noticed about some of the top pass rushers is when they leave college, they typically only have one or two moves. They’ve been so much better than their opponents throughout their career that they never had the need to develop anything more. With McDonald, that’s not the case. He displays the ability to hit opposing offensive linemen with multiple pass rush moves. This played a big part in Will collecting those 22 sacks over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

 

Shedding Blockers

McDonald is extremely active with his hands while engaged with blockers. He never truly allows them to get a good grip on him. So, when the time comes, and he needs to disengage he’s able to. Time and time again, I watched Will break free of opposing linemen, and at least disrupt what the ball carrier was trying to do. I’m honestly surprised it didn’t lead to a higher number of tackles for him.

 

Football IQ

I mentioned in my 2022 scouting report of Will, that he was patient. And that was definitely a mislabeling of that particular strength. It should have been listed as football intelligence. It’s quite clear when watching McDonald play, that he has a high understanding of what’s going on around him. I love watching edge rushers that don’t automatically crash down the line when looking at a RPO or read option look. Instead, he does a great job of fulfilling his role within the defense and making quick reads as to where the ball is post-snap.

 

Weaknesses

 

Play Strength

This was also my only weakness I had listed for McDonald when I looked at him for the 2022 draft. While I still think he needs to get stronger, it’s clear that he’s improved leaps and bounds in this area over the past year. In 2022 he would get pushed back three or four yards. This past season, he was able to hold his ground but he just never got that push himself. I do think it’s something that could limit him to being used primarily in pass rushing situations during his rookie season.

 

Will McDonald IV Draft Stock

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Will is currently listed as the 36th overall prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft. However, there’s been a big push recently, with a most mock drafts having him go at the end of the 1st round.

 

Final Thoughts on Will McDonald IV

From last season to this season, Will McDonald hasn’t changed much about his game. He’s just as athletic, smart, and good at getting off blockers as he was in 2021. He’s just gotten a little bit strong over the past year. In the end, coming back for another year of college football did help his evaluation. And honestly, I think it is going to make a big difference in where he will eventually end up going in this year’s draft. Last year, I had a day 3 grade on him. This year, I have a day 2 and would really surprised if he was still on the board at the end of the second round. I think he would be a great fit for any team that already had a #1 edge rusher that he could line up opposite of.

 

Will McDonald Player Comparison

Julian Okwara (Edge, Detroit Lions)

 

Will McDonald IV Scouting Report Analyst – Brandon Claburn