Daniel Jeremiah sends Iowa State EDGE Will McDonald IV to Chiefs in latest mock draft

The 2023 NFL draft is just over a month away and we’re getting a new wave of mock drafts now that pro day season is underway.

The latest mock draft from NFL media’s Daniel Jeremiah is a bit familiar for Kansas City Chiefs fans compared to his 2.0 version. Last time around he selected Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith at pick No. 31, but with his tremendous pre-draft performance, he’s now going much earlier in Jeremiah’s mock draft. As a result, it seems he’s drafting a similar style of player because the Chiefs’ needs haven’t exactly changed.

Jeremiah opted to select Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV. Here’s a look at what he had to say about the player and fit:

McDonald is an elite bender coming off the edge. The Chiefs moved on from Frank Clark this offseason and need to add more firepower to their pass rush.

McDonald is a lighter edge rusher at 245 pounds and one of the older edge rushers in this draft (24 years old). He’s nowhere near the athlete of Smith, even with some impressive agility times reported at his pro day (4.09s short shuttle and 6.79s 3-cone). He’s also much more of a designated pass-rush specialist, whereas Smith has some really promising tape of him holding up against the run in the SEC. He’s got 35-inch arms, which will help him with Steve Spagnuolo’s thresholds, but this would be a surprising choice for the Chiefs given their preferences at the position.

In my eyes, this would feel more like a reach based on need rather than a case of Kansas City selecting the best player at pick No. 31. Players like Alabama S Brian Branch, Oklahoma LT Anton Harrison, Clemson DT Bryan Bresee and South Carolina CB Cam Smith were all still available at this pick.

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