Photo by Ben Queen - USA Today Sports

Height	Weight	Arm Length	Hand Size
6'4"	239 lbs.	34 7/8"	9 1/2"

40 Yard Dash	Bench Press	Vertical Jump	Broad Jump	3-Cone Drill	20 Yard Shuttle
N/A	N/A	36"	11'	N/A	N/A

Games	Tackles	Tackles for Loss	Sacks	Pass Defended	Interceptions	Forced Fumbles	Touchdowns
48	125	40.5	34.0	7	0.0	10	0.0

Pros

• Phenomenal athleticism for a speed rusher off the edge.

• Exceptional length in his arms. 

 

• Elite agility and quickness in his lower half.

 

• Comes out of the gate with a great burst that can burn slow offensive lineman.

 

• One of the best hand fighters in the draft due to his agility and explosiveness that makes him a fast moving target.

 

• Does a great job of keeping his opposing lineman out of his frame with his length.

 

• Super shifty pre-engagement to give himself better opportunities

 

• Ridiculous flexibility in his frame to bend the edge at will as well as squeeze through tight gaps in the line.

 

• Possesses one of the best spin moves in the draft that can turn offensive tackles into turnstiles.

 

• Excellent dip/rip move when he gets the edge and turn the corner. 


• Inside swim move can be deadly at times if offensive lineman can't keep with his outside.

 

• Agility and quickness is on full display when making open field tackles as runners can't evade him easily. 

 

• Strong hands help him tackle quarterbacks stepping up in the pocket.

 

• Great tackler that plays with good aggression when bringing down ball carriers.

 

• Consistently goes after the football when making tackles or when sacking the quarterback with 10 forced fumbles in his career. 

​

• High motor player with plenty of second effort plays in his career.

Cons

• Light frame for an edge rusher.

• Lacks the power and strength to bring an effective bull rush. 

 

• Very few, if any, power-based moves in his pass rush repertoire.

 

• Struggles to hold his ground in defense do to lacking mass.
• Punch lacks substantial force to knock lineman out of their stance. 

​

• Questions about viable versatility in the NFL do to build..

Overview

Will McDonald IV is one of the most seasoned defenders in the NFL draft and you certainly know what your getting as prospect. He's a highly efficient speed rusher off the edge with quite the arsenal of moves and maneuvers to make life for any offensive tackle in the NFL quite difficult. His game is well polished and fine tuned as an edge rusher that it's hard to imagine that he doesn't find success in the NFL. His only real issue as a prospect in my opinion is his lack of muscle mass on his frame that will likely keep him from putting his hand in the dirt regularly in the NFL. By no means is he a weak pass rusher but he doesn't possess the strength move offensive lineman around. He may be a situational pass rusher as a rookie that won't see much action in short yardage situations but he's the kind of talent on the edge that can insure that quarterbacks don't have a great deal of calm in the pocket. He possesses one of the highest floors in the draft and I would be shocked to hear his outside of day 1.