Will McDonald IV NFL Draft Scouting Report

EDGE, Iowa State Cyclones

Will McDonald IV is an experienced player, playing in more than 50 games in his college career. McDonald had his most productive years at Iowa State during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, earning double-digit sacks in both seasons and being named Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year and First-Team All-Big-12 for the 2021 season. McDonald’s production dropped significantly in the 2022 season, posting five sacks, which could have been the result of him playing a higher variance of alignments along the defensive front.

As a pass rusher, McDonald is a speed rusher who uses a quick first step at the snap to attack the outside edges of offensive tackles. At the apex of the rush, McDonald shows to have hand counters (two-hand swipe, cross chop) that he can use to get the edge and turn the corner on offensive linemen to finish at the quarterback—showcasing fluid hips as well. McDonald is a smooth strider who, when his foot cadence times up with his hands, flashes the potential to be a high-level edge rusher on the next level.

As an edge rusher, there are elements of McDonald’s game that he can improve on. McDonald appears to be a straight-line player whose ability to instantly change direction laterally is limited. McDonald’s lateral moves are segmented, which affects his ability to stress offensive linemen laterally, and they have the ability to react to block McDonald.

As a run defender, McDonald is functional based on his alignment. At Iowa State, McDonald aligned on both the inside and outside shade of the tackle. But McDonald is best utilized when he is on the outside shade of the tackle where he can work on setting the edge and doesn’t have to worry about potential double teams. McDonald’s overall strength is a concern playing on the line of scrimmage.

Overall, McDonald’s value in the NFL is focused around his ability to evolve into a high-level pass rusher in the NFL using his length and natural athleticism while he continues to develop his strength to be an effective run defender.

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Natural length  
• Upside as a pass rusher 
• High motor 

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Strength at the point of attack
• Effectiveness defending the run 
• Lack of pass-rush repertoire 

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 4”

Weight: 239 lbs

Arm Length: 34 7/8”

Hand Size: 9 1/2”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: TBD

Vertical Jump: 36”

Broad Jump: 11′ 0”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD

Ideal Role: Stand-up edge rusher  

Scheme Fit: 3-4 OLB 

TDN Consensus Grade: 72.50/100 (Fourth-Round Value)

• Sanchez Grade: 72.50/100

Written By: Keith Sanchez 

Exposures: Baylor (2022), Kansas State (2022), Texas (2022), Texas Tech (2022)

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