Will McDonald NFL Draft Overview
Position: Edge Defender
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 239 pounds
School: Iowa State
2023 NFL Draft: Will McDonald Scouting Report
After spending the past five seasons at Iowa State, edge defender Will McDonald has officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old finished his collegiate tenure on a high note, earning First-Team All-Conference honors while recording five sacks, 36 tackles, and 7.5 tackles-for-loss while on the field. The stats don’t tell the full story with McDonald, as the coaching staff aligned him all over the formation, which limited his potential statistical output.
McDonald began his college football journey in 2018 but didn’t see the field with any regularity until 2019. During his redshirt freshman season, the Wisconsin native recorded six sacks, 15 tackles, and six tackles-for-loss while primarily playing linebacker.
Will McDonald transitioned to a defensive lineman in 2020, and that change worked out for him. During his first season at his relatively new position, the Sophomore recorded 10.5 sacks, 35 tackles, and 13 tackles-for-loss. One year later, he recorded a career-high 11.5 sacks, 36 tackles, and 13 tackles for loss.
Strengths
- Fast off the snap with quick acceleration to top speed;
- Blows past slower offensive tackles and makes a beeline for the quarterback;
- Insanely long arms allow him to engage blockers before they engage him;
- Versatile enough to play edge, defensive tackle, and linebacker;
- Changes direction well to track down ball carrier.
Weaknesses
- 3rd percentile weight for the position – needs to add mass;
- Can get pushed around by bigger tackles in the run game;
- Something of a one-trick pony as a pass rusher (but that one trick is really good);
- Not the hardest hitter – won’t take running backs down unless he wraps them up;
- Small hands make it harder for him to grab onto ball carriers.
NFL Comparison: Dwight Freeney
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: Round 1-2
Bottom Line on Will McDonald
Will McDonald is going to make some quarterback’s life miserable in passing situations. The Iowa State product should be able to contribute situationally right out of the gate, as his burst off the snap is already NFL-caliber and slow-footed tackles are going to have a tough time matching him. Even if they can match him step-for-step, McDonald’s spin move lets him blow by tackles and get to the quarterback before the blockers ever get a good hand on him.
While a lot of edge rushers stay on the edge, McDonald can get to the quarterback from a variety of positions. While he spent the majority of his time out wide, Iowa State did move him over tackle at a decent rate, and he was able to hold up to the more physical role. This versatility should help him in the NFL, even if he can only play inside in passing situations.
Will McDonald is going to be a productive NFL player, but there is a reason he’s not among the elite edge defenders in this draft class. Weighing in at 239 pounds, he’s well undersized for the position and while he is athletic, he’s not Nolan Smith. This lack of size doesn’t affect him too terribly in the passing game, but it can be an issue on running plays. If a lineman gets two hands on him and starts driving him backward, it’s over. Additionally, even when he gets to the running back, he needs to have a clean shot to consistently take the ball carrier down singlehandedly. McDonald lacks the size and strength to make arm tackles on bigger backs, so he might miss more tackles than you’d like.
Ultimately, it is a passing league, and McDonald’s ability to get after the quarterback easily outweighs his shortcomings in the running game. Will McDonald should compete to start right out of the gate and immediately improve his team’s pass rush situation.
Main Photo: Nirmalendu Majumdar – USA Today Sports
