The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
A team can never have enough pass rushers and the Green Bay Packers are in need of a pass rusher or two this offseason. The Packers struggled to get after the quarterback consistently this past season.
With Rashan Gary in place, the Packers have a cornerstone piece on the edge. However, the former first-round pick will likely miss the beginning of the upcoming season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL.
Preston Smith is a reliable veteran, but the 2023-2024 season could be his final year at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.
Kinglsey Enagbare showed promise during his rookie season and figures to be part of the rotation moving forward.
Add all that up and Brian Gutekunst will be in the market for an edge rusher or two this offseason. Luckily for Green Bay’s general manager the 2023 NFL Draft class is loaded with talented edge rushers.
A player that Gutekunst could target on day two of the draft is Will McDonald IV. The Iowa State edge rusher checks in at No. 77 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. Yes, McDonald is possibly too “light” for Green Bay’s liking. The Wisconsin native weighed in at the Senior Bowl at 241 pounds. Historically, the Packers like their edge rushers to be 260-plus.
McDonald came to Ames as a 215-pound recruit and has worked hard to add muscle to his frame. Something that he’ll likely continue to do throughout the draft process and his entire career.
McDonald may be on the “lighter” side, but it’s hard to ignore the former track star’s athleticism and upside.
“The former All-American has continued to add muscle and weight to his frame,” Nick Osen, the Iowa State beat writer for Cyclone Alert said. “Because of that, this will continue to be a spot that McDonald can handle en route to the NFL.”
McDonald, a three-star recruit, redshirted in 2018. In 2019, McDonald recorded six sacks. The following season, McDonald finished with 13 tackles for loss and a Big-12-leading 10.5 sacks. In 2021, the former three-star recruit recorded 13 tackles for loss and tied for the Big-12 lead in sacks with 11.5. He finished his career at Ames as the program’s all-time leader in sacks with 34.
“McDonald’s stats from 2022 may not jump off the page as much as some of the eye-popping numbers he put up throughout other years in his illustrious Iowa State career,” Osen said. “However, it was a very, very strong season, as McDonald dealt with double teams (and occasional triple teams or extra chips off the edge) well over 50% of the time he stepped on the field, while also helping to open things up for another NFL bound edge MJ Anderson.”
McDonald is an explosive athlete. That athleticism will be on full display in a few short weeks when the Cyclone edge rusher takes the field at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing football, basketball, and track. During his senior season, he averaged a double-double on the hardwood and he was a state champion in the discus.
The program’s all-time leader in sacks screams off the edge with an explosive first step. He’s bendy, with good length (35-inch arms). McDonald has a nifty spin move that would make Dwight Freeney smile ear-to-ear. Once McDonald wins the corner, he displays excellent closing burst to the quarterback. According to PFF, McDonald finished his career with 127 pressures.
“McDonald, off the bat, will step into the NFL as one of the most athletic players at his position against the toughest competition,” Osen said. “This is one area that makes him so effective, being so quick with his first step, as well as bending his body around tackles and tight ends alike, as McDonald showed at Senior Bowl week last week. In addition, McDonald has several tools in his toolbox to beat opposing pass protectors. One that comes to mind here is a gorgeous spin move that has really been perfected since 2020 for the Cyclones’ star.”
With his size, he’s not the strongest at the point of attack and can be moved off his spot. The effort is there and his motor is always running. He showcases the effort and speed to chase down ball carriers as a backside defender. Due to his first-step quickness, he’s able to beat linemen to the spot and make plays in the backfield.
“From my time watching and covering Will McDonald, I would not say that stopping the run was not (necessarily) what he was most asked to do within the 3-3-5 defense, due to depth, as well as much of the secondary having that in their responsibilities as well,” Osen said. “With that said, I think that McDonald showed real growth in that area over his last two years at Iowa State.”
On top of his ability to get after the quarterback, McDonald has experience playing on coverage units. He finished his career with 300 career special team snaps and 11 special teams tackles.
Fit with the Packers
McDonald has all the traits to develop into a menace off the edge. Add his explosiveness next to Gary and the Packers are cooking with gas.
“McDonald has the experience, off-the-charts athleticism, a ridiculous motor, and a personality that engages and pushes others around him,” Osen said. “McDonald has a bright future ahead of him in pro football. Any team that lands him should find success, and if he falls below the 20-36 range, I will be surprised.”
The issue with McDonald and his potential fit with the Packers is his weight. It’s a fair question to wonder if he’s even on Green Bay’s board.
However, there is no denying his traits. A player that can explode off the line of scrimmage and get to the quarterback in the fashion that McDonald does is too good to pass up on the second day of the draft.
Gutekunst’s first-ever pick as the general manager of the Green Bay Packers was Jaire Alexander. The Louisville cornerback didn’t hit the “height” threshold, yet he was a player that Gutekunst drafted with his inaugural pick.
There are real concerns about McDonald’s functional strength and whether or not he’ll ever be anything more than a pass-rush specialist.
However, the name of the game is to get after the quarterback and McDonald does that with the best of them. A player doesn’t finish his career as the Big-12 all-time sack leader by accident.
Pairing McDonald with Gary would give Green Bay a formidable pass-rushing duo. A duo that could wreak havoc on the NFC North for years to come.
[lawrence-related id=90089,90061,90037,89995,89960]
