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

It seems as if the Inexperienced Bay Packers are going to proceed to make use of their pre-draft visits to get a greater have a look at potential top-100 alternatives. Final season, normal supervisor Brian Gutekunst drafted six gamers who took visits to Inexperienced Bay through the spring. That is in distinction to the staff’s earlier go to technique, which was developed below former normal supervisor Ted Thompson, that used visits as a recruiting extension of undrafted free company.

The primary reported go to the Packers had this offseason was with Georgia tight finish Darnell Washington, who’s at the moment ranked thirty fourth on the consensus draft board. According to his Instagram story, the second participant recognized to take a go to to Inexperienced Bay on this class is Iowa State pass-rusher Will McDonald IV.

McDonald performed at Casimir Pulaski Excessive College (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and Wakuesha North Excessive College (Waukesha, Wisconsin) as a prep earlier than happening to make three straight First-Workforce All-Massive 12 squads with the Cyclones on the faculty stage. Over the course of his profession with Iowa State, McDonald registered 40.5 tackles for loss and 34 sacks, breaking Von Miller’s document for profession sacks within the Massive 12. In the meanwhile, he’s ranked forty third on the consensus draft board, which places him in play across the Packers’ second-round choice.

In line with current reviews, McDonald ran a 4.66-second 40-yard sprint and a 6.79-second three-cone at Iowa State’s professional day, excessive scores in drills that usually have a robust correlation to success at arguably probably the most athletically-demanding place within the sport. The catch is that McDonald solely weighed in at 239 kilos in Indianapolis, however he allegedly added an additional six kilos since his look on the mix.

Beneath is Acme Packing Firm’s Tyler Brooke’s scouting report on McDonald:

An athletic EDGE rusher who has the velocity profile to generate pressures and sacks at subsequent stage, little aggressiveness and poor hand utilization in his recreation elevate some big questions for me. Appears to have cross rush means however aggressive toughness and approach are big query marks. Lengthy legs instantly stand out on tape. Good explosiveness and lateral agility to make rapid-quick inside strikes on the cross rush. Has a superb really feel of when to retrace as QB steps up in pocket. Wants to enhance pad stage to win leverage battles, particularly since he has the body and athleticism to be an asset with leverage. Wants to enhance hand utilization in cross rush to work completely different strikes to be able to persistently disengage. Exhibits virtually no violence or aggressiveness when taking pictures his fingers to tackle blockers. Important drop off in cross rush manufacturing in 2022 after back-to-back seasons with 10+ sacks.