Will McDonald IV is a unique prospect with many exciting traits but also a few downsides. He is a late riser and someone who didn’t break onto the scene until his redshirt Senior year. He had some impressive production early in his career before he dropped off in 2020. You’d like to see a more consistent career, but he has all the traits to become a dominant player. One of the reasons he’s so unique is he played out of position as a 4/5 technique. McDonald is meant to play true EDGE, where he can utilize his explosiveness and bend. He showed off his elite skills at the Senior Bowl, where he faced legit competition. There are some red flags, but overall, he leaves other analysts and me excited to see him in the pros.
Two all-22 games and two more regular games were evaluated. This scouting report includes grades on all relevant traits based on his film. His scouting report also factored in stats and analytics, such as PFF grades. Use promo code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Please gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.
~5-minute read:
| Profile |
|---|
| 7th EDGE / 1-2 RD | 6’3 / 239 | Class – RS-SR | College – Iowa State |
| Pro Comparison |
|---|
| Randy Gregory |
| Scheme |
|---|
| 3-4/ Any |
D-line Stats
2022:
PR – 25
SK – 6
TKL – 37
TFL – 7.5
2021:
PR – 45
SK – 13
TKL – 36
TFL – 13
Clip Analysis
In this clip above, McDonald IV wins with speed and bend to get the sack. He lines up over the tackle and gives an initial club with his left hand before finishing with bend.
Here he wins with a swim move after engaging with the O-lineman. He first gives him a stutter before engaging, and then he swims over with his left hand.
He shows off his lethal spin move at the Senior Bowl in this tweet.
Grades
Traits/ Skills (see bottom of the page for scale)
Each trait/attribute is graded 1-7.
| Traits | Immediate | Potential |
| SPD | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| ACC | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| AGI | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| STR | 4.8 | 5.2 |
| SIZ | 5.6 | 6 |
| GET | 5.4 | 6.6 |
| BND | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| IQ | 4.5 | 6 |
| INS | 4 | 5.2 |
| PWM | 3.4 | 5.4 |
| FNM | 4.3 | 6 |
| BKS | 3.8 | 5.2 |
| TAC | 4.3 | 6 |
| PUR | 5.2 | 6 |
| COV | 4 | 5.5 |
| EDGE Key | EDGE Key Cont. |
|---|---|
| SPD – Speed ACC – Acceleration AGI – Agility STR – Strength SIZ – Size/ Length GET – Get-off BND – Bend IQ – Football IQ | INS – Instincts PWM – Power Moves FNM – Finesse Moves BKS – Block Shedding TAC – Tackling PUR – Pursuit COV – Coverage |
Player Notes
- Will McDonald IV is an explosive and bendy EDGE meant to play OLB but got stuck as a 4/5 technique. When he plays the proper role, his skills flourish. He is currently ranked 27th on The FBI 2023 Draft Board.
Pros
- He made the “College Football Freaks List 2022” by Bruce Feldman and is expected to vertical jump 42 inches and broad jump 11 feet.
- Has the arm-length of a hybrid defensive end – 35 inches, which is staggering.
- An explosive first step with the bend to threaten outside with pure speed rush.
- Has active and well-timed hands.
- Strong and flexible lower half.
- Flashes the ability to pull off counter moves.
- Could develop a nasty cross-chop with more experience.
- Showed off an outstanding spin move at the senior bowl multiple times.
- Held his own in-run defense as a 4/5 technique.
- Has the hot motor trait.
- Could fit any scheme if he gains some weight.
Cons
- His lack of mass will make him struggle at the point of attack.
- He’s no Nolan Smith; he doesn’t have stellar play strength.
- While his anchor is good in run defense, he doesn’t often disengage with blockers in run defense.
- Isn’t great at converting speed to power
- Doesn’t always get out of his stance quickly.
- More of a straight-line runner.
- He is a 24-year-old prospect come draft time.
Final Conclusion
Will McDonald IV is a prospect with first-round worthy traits, but his older age and poor development track are cause for red flags. There’s a shot he becomes a true number one pass rusher but is also equally as likely to fail. Overall, I like his game and will be rooting for him to succeed, as he’s a special type of athlete.
Combine
40 yd:
10 yd:
Shuttle:
3 cone:
Broad: 11’0″
Vertical: 36
Bench:
Arm Length: 34 7/8″
Hand Size:
Scales And Keys
Grading Key
POT – Potential: players’ highest upside
IMP – Impact: player’s immediate impact
Stats Key
PR – Pressures
SK – Sacks
TKL – Tackles
TFL – Tackles for loss
| Draft Grade Formula | |
| Age: 21-22: | POT=(30%) IMP=(70%) |
| Age: 23-24: | POT=(28%) IMP=(72%) |
| Age:-25+: | POT=(26%) IMP=(74%) |
| Good/ bad character: | POT=(+2%/-2%) IMP=(-2%/+2%) |
| Injury: | POT=(-1%) in increments |
| OVR Grade Weight: |
|---|
| Pass Rush=75% Run Defense=25% |
| Individual trait scale (1-7): |
|---|
| 7 – Rare world-class skill; best in the league and no room for improvement | 6 – Great-elite skill; one of the best at that given trait but still has some room to improve | 5 – Very good; above average and has potential to be elite | 4 – Average; able to suffice but, not ideal long-term | 3 – Below average; able to suffice at college level | 2 – Poor; hinders overall play and is a liability to the team | 1 – Awful; not good enough to play given position at any level above D2 | Note: Consistency plays a large factor. |
| Overall Draft grade scale (15-100): |
|---|
| 84 – Perfect prospect | 81 – Bluechip prospect | 80 – Likely all-pro | 79 – Day one quality starter or superstar potential | 78 – Day one starter w/ all-pro upside | 77 – Day one starter w/ high-end upside | 76 – Day One Starter | 75 – Boom or bust | 74 – Will become quality starter within 2-3 years | 73 – Boom or bust (high risk) | 72 – Will become starter within 2-3 years |
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