The Bucs are looking to get younger and faster on both sides of the ball in 2023. That means there will be quite a bit of turnover on their roster as they are set to lose up to 22 pending free agents, not to mention cuts of several more veteran players. The team hopes they can restock their talent cupboard in the 2023 NFL Draft with a profusion of new talent.

One position group that stands to change the most is outside linebacker. The Bucs starters are for the most part locked in. Third-year pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka coming off of a season that saw him take incremental steps forward. Across from him is veteran Shaq Barrett coming off of a devastating torn Achilles that does not promise to have him back to top form by the start of the new season.

Given the team does have significant investments in those two players there is a good chance the team opts to not go edge rusher in the first round of the draft, where they will be selecting 19th overall. But this year’s draft offers a strong selection of edge rushers that could be available when the Bucs make their second selection at number 50. One intriguing option for them could be Iowa State senior Will McDonald IV.

Will McDonald IV’s College Career

Iowa State OLB Will McDonald IV – Photo by: USA Today

McDonald is a redshirt senior who has played in 48 games over his collegiate career. In 2018 he was able to play in three games, logging three tackles, one for a loss, and a sack. He was still able to redshirt that season and returned for the 2019 campaign as a redshirt freshman. In his first full season McDonald registered 15 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble over 10 games.

That year, as a role player who only logged 129 total snaps, McDonald was still able to generate 21 pressures on just 94 pass rush snaps per Pro Football Focus. That translates to an impressive pressure rate of 22.3%.

The 2020 and 2021 seasons were by far his most productive, as he combined 71 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, three passes defensed, seven forced fumbles, 80 pressures and a pressure rate of 16.2%. McDonald opted to come back for his senior year in 2022, where his production fell off a bit.

In his final season for the Cyclones his sack production fell from the double-digits he posted in 2020 and 2021 to just five. His tackles-for-loss saw a similar drop-off, going from 13 in each of the previous two years to just 7.5 in 2022. Similarly, his pressure rate fell to just 9.6% in his platform season.

However, when looking at his career as a whole McDonald certainly checks the production box, with 125 combined tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, 34 sacks, seven passes defensed 10 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also logged a PFF pass rush grade of 84 or better in three of his final four seasons and finished his career with 127 pressures and a pressure percentage of 14.7%. This compares favorably to expected first round edge rushers Tyree Wilson, Nolan Smith, Myles Murphy and Lukas Van Ness.

Will McDonald’s Profile And Testing

Any scouting report on McDonald has to start with his frame. It is far from ideal for an NFL level pass rusher. His measurements at the 2023 NFL Combine came in at 6-foot-3 and 5/8 and 239 pounds for weight. Per MockDraftable.com those rank in the 46th percentile and third percentile for edge rushers respectively. Now the weight is an interesting story. Based on his tape I would estimate he played at a lower weight in college. However, that third percentile measurement may have been better if it had not been for an illness he was fighting prior to the combine.

Per sources, Iowa State pass rusher Will Mcdonald IV came down with a fever close to 104 degrees on Tuesday evening. He’s insisting on working out today— at least some of the drills—despite being sick and losing some weight over the last 48 hours. @nflnetwork

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) March 2, 2023

Despite this, McDonald did produce some impressive measurements in other areas that bode well for pass rushers. His near-35″ arm length was in the 90th percentile and his 82.25″ wingspan was in the 80th percentile for edge rushers. Additionally, he posted impressive marks in the vertical jump (36″, 79th percentile) and broad jump (132″, 98th percentile). Those tests serve as a good proxy for how well a pass rusher can explode off the line.

McDonald opted to not run the 40-yard dash at the Combine but is expected to at his pro day on March 21. I expect his 10-yard split to be somewhere in the 1.55-1.59 range. This would rank him better than Van Ness and Anderson, but behind Smith–who may or may not be an alien.

The two things in McDonald’s profile that really hold him back from being a true slam-dunk first round prospect are his weight which will take him down some teams’ boards, and his age. Born on June 4, 1999, he will be 24 by the time the NFL season starts in September. This will give some evaluators pause as they will question how much more he can develop physically (weight) as well as how much more his overall game can evolve.

What The Bucs Will Like About McDonald’s Tape

Iowa State OLB Will McDonald IV – Photo by: USA Today

While McDonald’s weight may scare away some teams, I don’t foresee it being a deal-breaker for the Bucs. Barrett is listed on the team site at 250 pounds and an inch shorter. Assuming McDonald’s pre-combine illness shaved a few pounds off, and given his height, I believe an NFL training program can get him to around Barrett’s weight, even if he plays at around 240 for his career.

And despite his slight frame, McDonald held up in non-traditional ways at Iowa State. The Cyclones often had him lining up further inside than a player of his stature would play. Over 40% of his snaps came from a 4i alignment or further to the inside. This guy was taking on double-teams from dudes almost 100 pounds heavier than him!

Now I don’t advocate for him to be used this way at the NFL level, as he was merely functional at this in college and the step up in competition will leave him struggling to succeed against pro-level competition. His play strength was impressive for his size, but still below average for a traditional edge. However, in a wider alignment as a 5, 7 or wide-9 he should play fine as a run defender despite his size limitations.

The Bucs like a player who brings a physical demeanor to the field and McDonald does just that. Where the team may have been frustrated with JTS for not being as physically aggressive with setting the edge in the run game last year, they needn’t worry about that with McDonald. He isn’t afraid to matchup with bigger defenders and can often dictate the flow of contact by using his length. This also helps him stop offensive linemen from clamping him up, so he can keep an eye on what’s going on in the backfield, flow to the play and make the stop.

Moving on to what he does best, McDonald’s tape is littered with pass rushing prowess. Those long arms I mentioned earlier. You can see him intelligently use them on a regular basis. He will burst off the line and drive his arms into the chest of opposing tackles. This allows him to create power that you wouldn’t expect from someone with his frame as he drives his opponent back into the lap of the quarterback.

McDonald will also use his burst to get up the arc on speed rushes to the outside. He showcases some bend, although it is inconsistent, and his hip fluidity is less than ideal. Instead of a natural torque where he leverages his speed to create impossible angles for his opponent, he will tend to try to make a sudden, immediate hip flip (usually off of a hand-swipe or cross chop). This creates a pass rush that is less efficient. However, his physical traits show these are areas he can improve upon giving him both a solid baseline and a high ceiling that the Bucs may covet.

There are still plenty of areas of opportunity in McDonald’s game. His pass rush arsenal is still very limited. He really only wins with the long arm, the cross chop and the two-hand swipe. All three of those are moves that help him win to the outside leveraging his burst and speed. From the tape I watched I did not see him effectively use an inside counter move. From time-to-time he would flash an arm over swim move or an inside spin, but these rarely seemed to be planned attacks. Rather he would use them in the moment when his initial plan looked to be failing. This will be an area he needs to develop in order to elevate his game at the next level.

What The Bucs Saw At The Senior Bowl

McDonald was one of many players who elevated their draft stock last month in Mobile, AL at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. He flashed the explosiveness, length and athleticism his tape had everyone expecting.

Will McDonald got the best of Darnell Wright to make it 1-1 to close out practice at the Senior Bowl pic.twitter.com/a4esHMnim6

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 31, 2023

Going back and watching senior bowl tape Will McDonald pops out.

His explosive 11’ broad jump shows on tape. At 6’4” 236 he’s a bit light but makes up for it with athleticism. #NFLdraft #NFLcombine #NFLTwitter pic.twitter.com/YvHAjLFuJK

— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) March 9, 2023

Will McDonald, man pic.twitter.com/T7ZPjlm7Qm

— Cory (@realcorykinnan) February 2, 2023

Could The Bucs Pick Will McDonald IV In The Second Round?

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

From a fit perspective I think McDonald fits a lot of what the Bucs would like. He has the pass rush skill set to help the team improve their sack totals from the OLB position. He has the athleticism to drop into coverage as head coach Todd Bowles likes to do with his edge rushers.

And while his body type is smaller than that of Carl Nassib, Anthony Nelson or Tryon-Shoyinka, it does fit in with other edge rushers the Bucs have used such as Barrett and Cam Gill. And they have shown interest as evidenced by them having a formal interview with him already.

If McDonald is available at No. 50 I think the Bucs could jump at the opportunity to select him. The bigger question I see is whether he will even be there. Right now McDonald is seen as a second-round option, but from the buzz he created at the Senior Bowl and his impressive explosive drills at the combine, first-round talk is starting to generate around him.

If McDonald shines at his pro-day and runs say a 4.5 40, he may not be available at No. 50 for the Bucs.