Seems most draft pundits are critical of our usage of Will McDonald last year:
- Thread starter FeedBreece
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Lol I don’t know what crawled up your butt. The scout clearly used the majority of his article pointing out how ISU was using McDonald incorrectly, way more than they did on any of his skill set.
I guess I don’t understand what the reason is for the way the scout wrote the assessment, obviously he can do whatever he wants, I just found it odd. If you look at the rest of the list, none are written in that manner and are more how you would expect a scouting report for the NFL draft to be written.
2023 NFL Draft: Ranking the top 10 edge defender prospects
PFF's Mike Renner reveals his top 10 edge defender prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
I see a lot of Reggie Heyward in Will. Tall, lean, long and explosive DE. McCarney’s 4-3 was better suited to that type of athlete, which is this writer’s point. I hope Will has natural physical maturity like Reggie had. Reggie gained a lot of weight after going pro and had a good career.
I'd love Minnesota to draft Will! Paired with a more advantageous scheme. He will be able to feast on QB's
I have no issue with how Will was used on the cyclone defense. Clearly a great player with a lot of talent that demands a lot of attention from opposing offenses.
I do worry how he translates to the NFL though. If he truly couldn't play standing up in college, it won't be easier at the next level. And only being about 235 (?) could be a concern for a dedicated pass rusher. Remember Aaron Maybin?
I do worry how he translates to the NFL though. If he truly couldn't play standing up in college, it won't be easier at the next level. And only being about 235 (?) could be a concern for a dedicated pass rusher. Remember Aaron Maybin?
This the same ”scout” that had Spencer Rattler going #1 in last year’s draft.I guess I don’t understand what the reason is for the way the scout wrote the assessment, obviously he can do whatever he wants, I just found it odd. If you look at the rest of the list, none are written in that manner and are more how you would expect a scouting report for the NFL draft to be written.
2023 NFL Draft: Ranking the top 10 edge defender prospects
PFF's Mike Renner reveals his top 10 edge defender prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.www.pff.com
It was more difficult for him to analyze McDonald because he wasn't in a defense that showcased his abilities. His point was that McDonald still had good pass rushing grades despite this, but he will get a better evaluation at the Senior Bowl. How is that so difficult to understand? He literally says "Of all the players on this list, none was stuck out of position more frequently than McDonald." That is why it's written differently than the rest.I guess I don’t understand what the reason is for the way the scout wrote the assessment, obviously he can do whatever he wants, I just found it odd. If you look at the rest of the list, none are written in that manner and are more how you would expect a scouting report for the NFL draft to be written.
2023 NFL Draft: Ranking the top 10 edge defender prospects
PFF's Mike Renner reveals his top 10 edge defender prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It's probably true we could have maximized his production/stats by using him differently. Heacock's job was to maximize our defense, not Will McDonald's stats
I don't know if anyone has the hubris of NFL scouts, draft analysts and GM's. We're talking about people that miss on like 75% of draft picks, and come back every year to tell you exactly how good every college player is and where they should be picked with 100% confidence.
They did move him around some, which helped. Probably not the best fit for the 3-3-5, but he also showed that he could hold up vs the run a lot better than you'd think at 236. I feel like he's a 4-3 RE in the NFL, but only coming in on passing downs. Basically a pass rush specialist. Maybe he ends up as a 3-4 OLB, but there's still coverage duties there at times and he'd be a pass rusher only there too.
Man there are some horrible takes in this thread. I don't even know where to start. Guy was double teamed all year. Will was double teamed every snap, teams game planned their entire offense around him. Barring catastrophic injury, he will get drafted and kick ass.
Will and Von Miller are number 1 and 2 all time in conference sacks. Very similar players. I expect Will will be an immediate impact player at the next level.
Will is best when his hand is in the dirt and he is coming off the edge. There should be plenty of tape showing his pass rush ability over the last several years. Teams this year went out of the way to double team him. While his sacks were down he did show his ability to play the run as an undersized end. Hopefully he gets to show his pass rush skills during 1 on 1 drills during a senior bowl. I don’t think most tackles can block him one on one.
There is plenty of tape of him getting held ans well as being doubled and triple teamed. Not to mention his production over his career. MJ Anderson has the potential to be drafted because of all the attention Will received
Yeah, those other teams were just toying with our defense as they were being completely shut down, mustering season below average rushing, passing, and scoring numbers.
And our top ten total defense national ranking must've been for that other Iowa State football team.
Our defensive strategy is not really suited for Will's highest potential because we aren't aggressive. Having said that he still has the all time big 12 sack record.
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They tried this early in his career, didn't they? Seems like he couldn't adjust to the position well enough, as he clearly didn't end up playing that position.
