What to Know: Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald visits Packers
By Paul Bretl
As a regular part of the pre-draft process, the top 30 visits continue for the Green Bay Packers, this time with Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald.
At the NFL Combine, McDonald measured in at 6’3″ – 239 pounds and posted an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.72 out of 10. This is noteworthy because, typically, the Packers have coveted big-bodied edge rushers. Rashan Gary weighs 277, Preston Smith 265, and Jonathan Garvin, meanwhile, was the lightest on the team at 257 pounds. This trend also extends well beyond just the 2022 team.
However, Green Bay did just re-sign Justin Hollins, who weighs 248 pounds, and when Joe Barry was the linebackers coach in Los Angeles, the Rams did have lighter edge rushers. Perhaps the Packers will be less stringent with that weight threshold to get Barry the types of edge rushers he wants.
McDonald has played 1,386 snaps for the Cyclones over five seasons and has had steady production for the past three years. During that span, he has logged 92 pressures and 26 sacks, having a career year in 2021, with 41 of his pressures and 13 sacks coming in that one season alone. For what it’s worth, he was also a much improved run defender in 2022 by PFF’s grading system.
In what is an incredibly loaded edge rusher draft class, McDonald is The Draft Network’s 18th-ranked rusher, but he still ranks as the 87th-best player overall on their big board—although he could possibly be a late first, early second round selection.
For more on his game, here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft report:
"“McDonald is an explosive, pliable edge talent whose active hands and eager feet make it hard for tackles to get a firm grip on him. His burst and lower-body flexion give him an advantage at the top of the rush, while his spin moves and feel for pocket depth round out his attack. He has good strength for his size and plays with admirable contact balance against bigger players, but setting firm edges and holding his ground against a downhill running attack could be an issue. Overall, McDonald’s hard-nosed demeanor and pass-rush talent are winning play traits that will help him become a successful 3-4 outside linebacker and sack artist.”"
The Packers’ lack of edge rusher depth was exposed last season once Gary went down with an injury. With how heavily rotated this position is, many teams have four edge rushers seeing regular snaps from week to week.
By getting Gary back, re-signing Hollins, who was a solid rotational player in 2022, and hopefully seeing Enagbare take a jump in Year 2, this group will be able to generate more regular pressure this season. But with that said, nothing that I just mentioned should stop Green Bay from trying to add to this room in the draft, where there will be plenty of options.
The best way to wreck any offensive play is with quick pressure, and when the front is getting after the quarterback regularly, there isn’t a position on the defensive side of the ball that doesn’t benefit from it.
In addition to having McDonald in for a visit, GM Brian Gutekunst was also at the Iowa State Pro Day on Tuesday. Of the Packers’ 30 official visits in 2022, six became draft picks, and another three were on the team at various points last season.