2023 NFL Draft: Iowa State pass-rusher Will McDonald visits the Packers

Mar 23, 2023 - 6:52 PM

It appears as though the Green Bay Packers are going to continue to use their pre-draft visits to get a better look at potential top-100 selections. Last season, general manager Brian Gutekunst drafted six players who took visits to Green Bay during the spring. This is in contrast to the team’s previous visit strategy, which was developed under former general manager Ted Thompson, that used visits as a recruiting extension of undrafted free agency.

The first reported visit the Packers had this offseason was with Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, who is currently ranked 34th on the consensus draft board. According to his Instagram story, the second player identified to take a visit to Green Bay in this class is Iowa State pass-rusher Will McDonald IV.

McDonald played at Casimir Pulaski High School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and Wakuesha North High School (Waukesha, Wisconsin) as a prep before going on to make three straight First-Team All-Big 12 squads with the Cyclones at the college level. Over the course of his career with Iowa State, McDonald registered 40.5 tackles for loss and 34 sacks, breaking Von Miller’s record for career sacks in the Big 12. At the moment, he’s ranked 43rd on the consensus draft board, which puts him in play around the Packers’ second-round selection.

According to recent reports, McDonald ran a 4.66-second 40-yard dash and a 6.79-second three-cone at Iowa State’s pro day, high scores in drills that generally have a strong correlation to success at arguably the most athletically-demanding position in the sport. The catch is that McDonald only weighed in at 239 pounds in Indianapolis, but he allegedly added an extra six pounds since his appearance at the combine.

Below is Acme Packing Company’s Tyler Brooke’s scouting report on McDonald:

An athletic EDGE rusher who has the speed profile to generate pressures and sacks at next level, little aggressiveness and poor hand usage in his game raise some huge questions for me. Looks to have pass rush ability but competitive toughness and technique are huge question marks. Long legs immediately stand out on tape. Good explosiveness and lateral agility to make rapid-quick inside moves on the pass rush. Has a good feel of when to retrace as QB steps up in pocket. Needs to improve pad level to win leverage battles, especially since he has the frame and athleticism to be an asset with leverage. Needs to improve hand usage in pass rush to work different moves in order to consistently disengage. Shows almost no violence or aggressiveness when shooting his hands to take on blockers. Significant drop off in pass rush production in 2022 after back-to-back seasons with 10+ sacks.