Will McDonald IV NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Iowa State Edge

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 239

HAND: 9 1/2"

ARM: 34 7/8"

WINGSPAN: 82 3/8"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.7

3-CONE: 6.85

SHUTTLE: 4.22

VERTICAL: 36"

BROAD: 11'0"

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POSITIVES

– Sets up pass-rushing moves well by getting to square and/or using head/shoulder fakes during the stem phase of the rush.

– Has a nice hesitation move that he can use to get offensive tackles to stop their feet, combined with the burst to capitalize and win around the edge.

– Showed a good inside stick move with impressive quickness and acceleration.

– Uses a spin move as a counter, both inside and outside, and is effective with his quickness and icepick to knock the offensive lineman's hands down.

– Has a limber lower half to help clear his hips on finesse moves as a pass-rusher and has active hands to help get the blocker's hands off of him after contact.

– Good bend with flexible ankles to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush and take an efficient path to the quarterback.

– Has a knack for getting strip-sacks.

– Gets his hands up and has good hand-eye coordination to get batted passes if he can't hit home as a rusher.

– Has the pass-rushing motor to get coverage and clean up sacks.

– Gets his hands up quickly against the run and is physical at the point of attack.

– Doesn't fly too far up the field when unblocked as a run defender and does a good job wrong-arming/getting under pullers.

– Room for growth on his frame.

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NEGATIVES

– Late to react to the snap and can be a little slow out of his stance, diminishing his acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

– Footwork needs work when slanting to be able to get penetration, especially with his delayed get-off.

– Stops his feet on contact and lacks the size and strength to hold his ground as a run defender against offensive tackles.

– Will get kicked inside from combo blocks or double-teams with tight ends.

– Subpar block recognition and gap discipline against reach blocks. Doesn't put himself in a good position to defend against reaches and will lose control by ducking inside the block.

– Shedding is almost nonexistent versus offensive linemen with his lack of strength.

– Struggles with his balance at the top of a pass rush, occasionally falling on the ground after winning around the edge.

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2022 STATISTICS

– 12 GM, 36 TOT, 7.5 TFL, 5 SK, 1 FF, 4 PBU

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NOTES

– DOB: June 4, 1999

– No. 5 on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes, 42" to 43" vertical, 11' broad jump, 6'10" wingspan, can do backflips standing still and jump over cars, according to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell

– A 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 787 overall, No. 47 WDE, per 247 Sports' composite rankings

– No major injuries

– 23 career starts

– 2022 Honors: First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), Second-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele, AP)

– 2021 Honors: First-Team All-American (FWAA, Phil Steele), Second-Team All-American (CBS), Third-Team All-American (AP), Big 12 Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year, First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), Ted Hendricks Award Semifinalist

– 2020 Honors: First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), Ted Hendricks Award Semifinalist, Second-Team Academic All-Big 12

– 2019 Honors: Second-Team Academic All-Big 12

– 2018 Honors: Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year

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OVERALL

Outside of Will Anderson Jr., there might not be a more accomplished pass-rusher in this year's draft class than Will McDonald IV. The three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and two-time Hendricks Award semifinalist is a great athlete, and he has a wide array of pass-rushing moves that he can win with and carry over to the NFL.

However, McDonald needs a lot of work as a run defender. Most notably, he isn't big and strong enough to hold up at the point of attack against NFL offensive linemen. He might even struggle against bigger tight ends. His slender 236-pound frame just isn't going to cut it, so he'll need to bulk up before becoming an every-down player.

The good news is that the Iowa State product has some room for growth on his frame and plenty of athleticism to spare. He should be able to get better against the ground game after spending some time in the weight room. It's just a matter of how patient teams are willing to be in the interim.

Schematically, McDonald would be best as a standup outside linebacker in odd fronts. That would allow him to stay out on the edge and should make it a little easier for him to defend against the run. But he'll likely be a third-down pass-rusher to begin his NFL career.

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GRADE: 7.7 (Potential Impact Player, 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 32

POSITION RANK: EDGE6

PRO COMPARISON: Yannick Ngakoue

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder