Tag: Will McDonald IV

Packers host official pre-draft visit with Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV

Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV is in Green Bay for an official pre-draft visit with the Packers.

According to his official Instagram account, the Green Bay Packers hosted a pre-draft visit with Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV on Thursday.

McDonald, a Waukesha native and potential first-round pick in the 2023 draft, was inside Lambeau Field touring the facility.

Teams are allowed 30 opportunities to host prospects for visits before the draft.

McDonald is a three-time All-Big 12 selection and 2021 All-American who produced 34 sacks, 42 tackles for loss, 10 forced fumbles and eight pass breakups over 54 career games at Iowa State.

At the combine, McDonald hit 36″ in the vertical jump and covered 11-0 in the broad jump after measuring 6-4 and 239 pounds. According to Tony Pauline, McDonald ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and finished the three-cone drill in 6.6 seconds and short shuttle in 4.21 seconds at his pro day. If his unofficial numbers from the pro day are correct (or close), McDonald’s Relative Athletic Score would finish above 9.0 despite him being undersized.

Given his length, weight and athleticism, NFL.com compared McDonald to Randy Gregory.

In related news, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and director of football ops Milt Hendrickson were in Ames to see the Iowa State pro day earlier this week.

The Packers could see McDonald as a pass-rushing weapon early in his career and a long-term option opposite Rashan Gary on the edge.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 77, Iowa State edge Will McDonald IV

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ESPN’s Mel Kiper mocks pass rushing sleeper to Jaguars

Mel Kiper thinks the Jaguars should add another pass rusher to the mix in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars can go several different directions this April with pass rushers, cornerbacks, offensive linemen, and tight ends at the top of the potential draft day wish list.

While Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness and Clemson’s Bryan Bresee have been names commonly associated with the Jaguars if the team opts to upgrade its defensive front seven, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has a different pass rusher in mind for Jacksonville.

In a mock draft published Tuesday morning, Kiper projected the Jaguars will take Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV to fill the void left by Arden Key’s departure:

At 6-foot-4, 239 pounds, McDonald and Key are actually very similar in size, and both are best when coordinators let them get after quarterbacks. McDonald is an explosive player who had 34 sacks over four college seasons. I expect Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick last year, to make a second-season leap — the Jags’ defense could get much better.

In Kiper’s mock, four edge rushers — Will Anderson Jr., Tyree Wilson, Nolan Smith, and Van Ness — landed in the top 15. Another two — Adetowima Adebawore and Felix Anudike-Uzomah — were in the seven picks after the Jaguars’ pick.

Jacksonville has a pair of starters on the edge in Travon Walker and Josh Allen, but the latter is set to play the 2023 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. Regardless if the Jaguars have Allen in their long-term plans, the team is lacking depth at the position.

McDonald tied Von Miller’s Big 12 all-time sack record with 34 in his career at Iowa State, and he recorded a 36-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

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Colts present at Iowa State pro day

The Colts were represented Tuesday at Iowa State’s pro day.

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly were represented Tuesday at the NFL pro day for Iowa State ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

While they also sent scouts to a pro day in the same state Tuesday at Iowa, it seems at least one representative for the Colts was at the pro day for Iowa State, per Mark Freund of WHO 13 news.

The biggest name the Colts likely have their eyes on is edge rusher Will McDonald IV. After popping at the Senior Bowl, McDonald crushed the NFL combine, testing at an elite level despite dealing with a fever throughout the week.

The edge position isn’t a glaring need for the Colts, but they won’t ever stop looking for pass rushers—and nor should they. McDonald also would be a fantastic fit on the edge in Gus Bradley’s defense.

Another name to keep an eye out on Day 3 of the draft is wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. At 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, Hutchinson didn’t blow the doors off the combine, but he didn’t test poorly either. He posted a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash and a 36-inch vertical jump.

Hutchinson finished the 2022 campaign with a breakout season, recording 107 receptions for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns.

We’ll see how the Colts go about the draft in just over a month’s time, but they got a good glimpse of the prospects coming out of Iowa State.

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Mock Draft Roundup 6.0: Who analysts are sending to Chargers

The media world is finally beginning to converge on a select few targets for the Chargers.

We’re finally seeing some consensus in Chargers mock drafts.

After a dozen different players were mocked to LA last week, analysts cut that number to 8 this week. Those eight players play five different positions, down from last week’s 7, a subtraction made primarily because of the re-singing of offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III.

Of the 18 mock drafts included this week, 10 of them picked one of two players, signifying that the media world is finally beginning to converge on a select few targets for the Chargers.

8 winners (Anthony Richardson!) and losers (WR-needy teams) from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

It was a BIG weekend for the QBs and one team at the top of the draft. Most of the WRs, not so much.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is behind us, and with it, another weekend of terrific athletic displays. As always, with the festivities in Indianapolis in the books, we now have set the table for the upcoming NFL Draft in late April.

We saw one raw quarterback prospect break records as he potentially solidified himself as a top-five pick. At the same time, a fellow top QB prospect shot down the idea of playing with one franchise because of an established young star.

Meanwhile, a talented defensive prospect showed off a wingspan comparable to an NBA superstar. And the big boys up front and the fast guys on defense probably made themselves a lot of money by raising their draft stock.

Though, if you’re looking for a receiver — like the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants, to name a few franchises — this isn’t a weak receiver class per se. But, with potentially no true blue-chipper, you might be better served to wait and bide your team for an ideal pick in later rounds.

Let’s examine some of the more notable winners and losers from the 2023 NFL combine.

2023 NFL Combine Winners Day 1: Blazing-fast DTs give the Bears plenty to consider

DL Bryan Bresee looking so smooth headlines our highlights from Day 1 of the Combine.

With questions out of the way, Thursday was put up or shut-up time at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Day 1 of workouts featured the big boys on the front seven — defensive linemen and linebackers.

Hoo boy did it ever transcend past our initial expectations.

We had an EDGE player running faster than current star professional running backs. A defensive tackle surpassed Aaron Donald (yes, that Aaron Donald) on the 40-yard dash. Oh, and a potential first-round pick went all-in on his “toughness” rating — he tested and passed with flying colors just two days after a sky-high fever.

And that’s just the start.

All of this had to be music to the ears of teams looking for front-seven help near the top of the 2023 NFL Draft. The most noteworthy might be the Chicago Bears, who own the No. 1 overall pick, but likely won’t stay there for too long.

The league-worst Bears could use an infusion of talent essentially everywhere but quarterback. They’re, how do we put this: good with Justin Fields.

But for a team with the 29th-ranked defense by yardage and the 32nd-ranked unit by Football Outsiders’ DVOA — Chicago had to be salivating watching these larger defenders put on a show. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus know they can act as kingmakers of sorts this offseason. And whatever ransom of draft picks they get for the top pick could potentially be used on one of the names from our Day 1 winners of the 2023 Combine.

Draft prospect Will McDonald crushed it at the Combine 2 days after a reported 104-degree fever

The Flu … Combine?

As an elite first-round prospect with something to prove, former Iowa State DE Will McDonald likely wanted to pull out all the stops during testing at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Though, that fact probably doesn’t make McDonald unique alone. The combine is, in many ways, a job interview.

And when it’s time to do things like run the 40-yard dash, you want to impress the people at your interview. From this perspective, the extreme lengths McDonald went to participate through Thursday’s testing period probably does separate him.

According to FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager, McDonald had a fever close to 104 degrees on Tuesday. Yet, despite his sickness, while losing some weight, McDonald ran through some drills at the combine anyway.

Unbelievable:

Did McDonald falter or fall short while likely still recovering from his fever? No, no, he did not.

He had a 36-inch vertical, which is top-notch for a defensive end weighing around 240 pounds:

And after showing he can jump over an SUV (oh, okay?), McDonald had an 11-foot broad jump.

1. Wow. 2. Stick with me here. 3. Wow.

McDonald’s 11-foot broad jump stands out in particular. That’s because it’s the third-longest by a DE since 2009. Fourteen years! After a high fever only two days ago!

Bonkers work, really.

If I’m being honest, McDonald probably should’ve just stayed home. The many executives and coaches on hand would’ve understood, and he could’ve tested at Iowa State’s eventual Pro Day.

Instead, knowing how Football Guys think, McDonald’s “Flu Combine” probably cemented him as a top pick in April’s draft.

5 edge rushers to watch for Colts at NFL combine

Here are five edge rusher prospects to watch for the Colts at the NFL combine.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, a key event for prospects on their path to the NFL.

Over 315 participants will showcase their talents to scouts and front-office members of the league’s 32 teams.

To that note, the evaluation of defensive ends and edge rushers starts Thursday with measurements and on-field workouts. Among the teams with needs are the Indianapolis Colts, who need a solid presence to pair with young edge rushers Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Here are five edge rushers to watch that could be on the Colts’ radar:

Bleacher Report names a prospect Saints fans should be scouting at NFL combine

Bleacher Report says Iowa State defensive end Will McDonald IV is a prospect the New Orleans Saints should be scouting at 2023 combine:

The pro football world is descending on Indianapolis for the annual NFL Scouting Combine this week, where 2023 draft prospects will be put through a gauntlet of on-field workouts, off-field medical exams, media appearances, and interviews with teams like the New Orleans Saints.

So it’s going to be a busy week for all involved. The Saints will be working through the long list of hundreds of draft prospects as they seek to build their big board. One name to look out for comes from Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, who suggested Iowa State defensive lineman Will McDonald IV as someone the Saints should be scouting in Indianapolis:

“Will McDonald IV turned a lot of heads at the Senior Bowl with his devastating spin move and quick first step. At the combine, he should lock up a first-round grade.

McDonald is another prospect who was featured on Bruce Feldman’s list of elite athletes in college football. The Iowa State defender came in at No. 5.

Feldman noted that Iowa State coach Matt Campbell expects for McDonald to post a 42-43″ vertical and a broad jump around 11 feet. A 43″ vertical would beat last year’s highest set by Channing Tindall and Tariq Woolen by an inch.

McDonald had double-digit sacks in his third and fourth seasons in Ames. But he moved to a different position last year, lining up as a 5-technique and inside the tackle more often which hurt his numbers.

Regardless, NFL talent evaluators are going to see the burst, athleticism and pass-rush moves that will make him a success.

The Saints should be one of those teams paying attention. Cameron Jordan is 33 years old and Marcus Davenport is set to hit free agency.”

McDonald was listed at 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds last season, but he weighed in at 241 pounds at the Senior Bowl and would need to bulk up even more to meet the Saints’ standards at defensive end. Of their players under contract for 2023, you’ve got Jordan (listed at 287), Tanoh Kpassagnon (listed at 289), Payton Turner (who said he was playing “in the 280’s” last season), and Carl Granderson (who weighed in at 285 pounds for training camp last summer).

But maybe the Saints are going to value a different athletic profile at defensive end now that Todd Grantham is coaching the group instead of Ryan Nielsen. It’s still Dennis Allen’s defense, but the position coach’s input has to matter to some extent. McDonald was effective in college and should do well at the combine this week. Let’s see if it helps him get on New Orleans’ radar.

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2023 NFL draft film room: Iowa State EDGE Will McDonald IV

See for yourself what makes Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV one of the top edge defender prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class

It’s officially NFL draft season, so it’s time to get to know the best players at every positions in the 2023 class.

What makes Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV one of this year’s top edge defender prospects?

Watch the tape and see for yourself: