AMES, Iowa — Will McDonald IV went to the NFL Scouting Combine three weeks ago with a 103-degree fever so fierce it threatened to unravel every drop of sweat equity he poured into the pre-draft process.
McDonald, an edge rusher from Iowa State, lost the few extra pounds he had put on since the end of the 2022 season. He was in no real shape to sprint straight ahead in the 40, let alone run in semi-circles for the shuttle or three-coned drills. But in what he called “the opportunity of a lifetime,” McDonald still met with NFL personnel and decided to participate in the jumping drills.
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Even in a weakened state, that move paid off for McDonald (6-foot-4, 239 pounds) in Indianapolis, and it likely will pay off next month in the NFL Draft. McDonald soared 11 feet in the broad jump, the fifth-best leap by a defensive end in combine history. It was seven inches beyond the next-best jump among edge rushers this year and easily the best by any line-of-scrimmage player.
“He’s one of one,” Iowa State defensive back Anthony Johnson, a possible top-100 draft pick, said at the NFL combine. “He’s a freak. He can bend.”
The physical side of McDonald’s game will get him drafted — perhaps in the first round — which could shelve a dubious distinction for the Cyclones. Not since the Houston Oilers selected Iowa State running back George Amundsen 14th overall in 1973 has Iowa State enjoyed a first-round selection. Running back Breece Hall came close last year to ending that drought but went No. 36 overall to the New York Jets, just four picks into the second round.
But Iowa State’s draft history doesn’t matter to McDonald. He doesn’t get wrapped up in where he goes or in what order or how it is viewed by fans or media. For him, the draft is just a pathway toward reaching his destination. He’s the same way when it comes to self-promotion. To get McDonald to beat on his chest and proclaim he’s the best edge rusher among a deep pool of prospects, well, good luck.
Will McDonald jumped 11 feet in the broad jump, the fifth-best leap by a defensive end in NFL combine history. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)“I never really like got into that,” he said at Iowa State’s pro day Tuesday. “I didn’t really care about being first round, second, third. Because at the end of the day, we all are doing the same job. And it’s all about production and how you do it.”
To wipe away a 50-year curse of sorts for the Cyclones would be “an honor” for McDonald, but it’s more because of his humble Milwaukee roots than bringing pride to his alma mater.
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“I didn’t think I would be here five years ago,” he said. “I was working at McDonald’s and Wendy’s, and I wasn’t expecting to be here at Iowa State doing my thing. I didn’t even know I was a good football player until I went out my junior year and my senior year of high school football. I just let God lead the path.”
There’s good in college football, and then there’s dominant, which is the realm where McDonald spent most of his career. A first-team All-American in 2021, McDonald tied the Big 12 career mark for sacks with 34. He was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and one of the top pass rushers in conference history. Along with his sacks, McDonald collected 42 tackles for loss, 10 forced fumbles and 18 hurries. He posted eight games of at least two sacks.
McDonald, who weighed 245 pounds on Monday, boasts nearly 35-inch arms. His explosiveness and ability to soar underneath offensive tackles are difficult to corral, whether it’s in practice or a game.
“If you look at other defensive ends in the conference, you go, ‘Wow, these are big dudes.’ But Will is just special in his uniqueness to be so elusive,” current Iowa State offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford said. “He is just the fastest human being I think I’ve ever witnessed. He’s just twitchy, let alone like just flat-out run speed fast. He can cut a corner quick; he can spin before you blink twice. That’s the kind of person Will is. It’s extraordinary.”
It’s McDonald’s long, lean frame coupled with a burst that produced the 11-foot broad jump that allows him to zoom past linemen so fast they can’t catch up after his first step.
“It’s his bend, I would say,” said former ISU defensive end M.J. Anderson, who also vies for an NFL opportunity. “He’s very flexible. I feel like his first step is really good as well.”
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McDonald blends several different athletic disciplines into making him a possible first-round selection. He studied jujitsu and played basketball, which helps with his balance, leverage and explosiveness. His favorite players include pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Von Miller, and McDonald said he “modeled my game after both of them.” He calls himself “weird” because he likes to ride skateboards, watch anime and do “goofy stuff.”
With the Cyclones, McDonald largely played off the edge, but he also had some interior snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald lined up 53 plays over the B gap, 156 over the tackle and 293 outside the tackle. In the NFL, McDonald likely won’t play much beyond edge rusher in a wide-9 technique. But that versatility with the Cyclones helped him develop into a tougher player, he said.
“We played a lot of fronts here at Iowa State,” McDonald said. “There’s a lot of people that say I was miscast at Iowa State but playing in this defense actually helped me a lot. We were in three down, four down … we had a lot of packages and we played a lot of different defenses. So, it just kind of helped me understand the game a little bit better, and it gave me a lot of knowledge. So going into the league, whatever scheme I do play, I can adapt to it pretty easy.”
Opinions vary on McDonald’s eventual landing spot. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. described McDonald as “super explosive” and ranked him as the No. 13 overall prospect. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah mocked McDonald No. 31 overall — the final first-round selection — to the Kansas City Chiefs and called him “an elite bender.” Dane Brugler, NFL Draft analyst for The Athletic, wrote McDonald “is a tricky prospect” and slotted him No. 42 overall.
“Thanks to his length and quick-twitch movements, he is able to separate from blocks, burst to close and finish in the pocket,” Brugler wrote. “However, his pass rush lacks deception or efficiency and he looks more like a basketball small forward than an NFL defensive end. His natural tools and college production (34.0 sacks) are extremely enticing, but you might wish there was more polish for a fifth-year senior.”
With three of the top analysts disagreeing about McDonald’s placement, it’s no wonder the recent graduate eschews draft-day projections. He doesn’t offer up any himself, either.
“I don’t really care about anybody else’s opinions, or what they think,” he said. “The one thing I take pride in is doing my work. It’s being the best that I can be.
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“I’m not really in a challenge with anybody else in the first or second round; I don’t really care about that. The only thing I care about is me getting better for myself.”
(Top photo: Scott Dochterman / The Athletic)
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