For the life of me, I can not figure out how Van Ness at Iowa can possibly have a higher grade than McDonald.
Will McDonald Projected 8th Overall to Falcons
- Thread starter DrewCo
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For the life of me, I can not figure out how Van Ness at Iowa can possibly have a higher grade than McDonald.
It would not surprise me to see a team trade up to the late first round to take a QB. Teams covet the 5th year option that comes with the 1st round pics. Trading up into the end of the first round to draft a QB has happened a few times. Teddy Bridgewater was one, for example.
Because he's more of a traditional edge setter vs Will who will be more of a pass rush specialist.
From what I can tell there are a few factors in Van Ness's favor: age and build.
First is age, Will is going to be 24 by the start of the season versus Van Ness's 22. That means LVN projects to have more productive years left than Will.
Second is weight/build. Will's lean build makes him better suited as a pass rush specialist and there are questions about his run stop ability and three down capability, whereas LVN has a more traditional DE build. Will also projects as a better fit in a 3-4 system which limits how certain teams might value him, while Van Ness can reasonably fit with most defensive schemes.
Ness with zero forced fumbles in his career? That seems like a hard thing to do.
Name on the front of the jersey.
If Van Ness played for us with the exact same tape, he'd be a 5-7th round pick after next season. If McDonald played for Iowa with the exact same tape, he'd be a top 10 pick.
That “official” Pro Day 4.69 40 is doing Will absolutely zero favors.
With the impact of NFL players like Lazard, Montgomery, Hall, and Purdy, I'm not too worried about us getting good attention in the draft. However, it is interesting that Heacock's vaunted defenses haven't resulted in the same sort of impact player in the NFL. Hoping McDonald will be it.
We have a lot of good roll players but not many the will blow the stats out of the water.
I don't know why people seem so reticent to acknowledge that ISU players still get f'd over in the draft.
Oh we do, but it's because we have the guys that go beyond their physical limitations. The draft is a joke honestly. Look at how many busts there have been. Then look at Lazard and Purdy.
Do you seriously think that Breece or Kene got screwed over in the draft?
2 out of how ever many, that settles it. no screw job
Breece maybe. If only because of how his position has been devalued.
But explain Allen Lazard going from being a dominant, high profile college player who goes undrafted only to become a Top 15-20 guy at his position in the NFL.
The NFL has a proven track record of getting kind of lazy about scouting. Ferentz has developed a reputation as a guy who gets kids ready for the league, and Iowa players get picked without having to prove as much in college. Will McDonald's college career has greatly exceeded Lucas Van Ness's, and Van Ness will get the benefit of the doubt because he played for Kirk Ferentz. If Will McDonald played for an SEC school or an "NFL factory" reputation school, he'd be a first round lock instead of a borderline guy.
And that’s exactly what the pros saw. Hakeem ran better, and managed to get drafted despite his other issues.
Some NFL teams are horribly run. The league is set up (draft, free agency, cap, schedule) for a team to win their division and go to the playoffs every 4-5 years. Of course some teams go on for years and years without making the playoffs.
