Iowa State Will McDonald the Hawks best 2023 draft prospect

[Hawkinaz]

Comparing Anderson to McDonald, McDonald is the better pass rusher with better bend. Could see a similar role that the 90s Giants had with Lawrence Taylor I wouldn’t want to ever see him in pass coverage. If the Hawks do draft an edge( OLB) I would expect Nwosu to either be traded or released its my thinking of why JS hasnt extended him

 

[CactusJack]

I can't remember the last draft where there wasn't a consensus #1 pick. This entire top ten seems like a total crap shoot.

Travon Walker?

Young & Stroud, seem to be the consensus top 2.

As much as Chevy will try to convince you otherwise, McDonald isn't going to be the #1 pick.

The issue for the Hawks at 5, is figuring out who is worthy of taking at that spot. The logical choice would've been Carter. But you're now left to choose from a group of imperfect prospects. Some have major red flags. Other's are total projections.

 

[Seattle Person]

I'm at the point where I'm pretty comfortable with either Anderson or McDonald. I wouldn't go as far as saying McDonald is the superior prospect. I would say McDonald is superior in speed rushing and bending the corner. Anderson is just a good player and good at everything. He didn't test as well as people thought he would but he is well within the range of a speedy/explosive Edge. He would fit in very nicely in one of the Edge positions. He does a great job holding the edge and in the run game. I think this is where he separates himself from McDonald. Just that ability to hold the edge or shoot in the backfield to blow things up. He's an elite run defender now. He can play frontside or backside. It's the little things that make Anderson elite. I think some fans are nip- picking his athleticism but his feel for the game is pretty natural. He jumps the count. He understand run/pass concepts. He sets up his teammates and can do his job.

McDonald is a hell of a player. I would be happy with him. He can be someone that we fans thought Darrell Taylor could turn into. DT screams off the edge. He is just inconsistent. Now I think he can absolutely blow up in the NFL. Dude is an extremely underrated run defender. Everything I said about Anderson -- McDonald I think is capable of as well. That Iowa defense was stupid...plain and simple. WM3 just didn't have this opportunity to show this as much on film. Anderson's burst is stupid but McDonald's burst and bend can be truly elite. Because of the defense he played in at Iowa -- he doesn't have Anderson's polish and feel for the game. That is why I can't say he is better than Anderson. However, he probably has more upside. He just isn't a plug and play starter right away as Anderson.

 

[Hawkinaz]

Travon Walker?

Young & Stroud, seem to be the consensus top 2.

As much as Chevy will try to convince you otherwise, McDonald isn't going to be the #1 pick.

The issue for the Hawks at 5, is figuring out who is worthy of taking at that spot. The logical choice would've been Carter. But you're now left to choose from a group of imperfect prospects. Some have major red flags. Other's are total projections.

I still can’t believe Walker was the top pick I thought teams had learned their lesson from the Mike Mamoula SNAFU

If Carter was motivated and had his head screwed on straight he wound be no where near the the 5th pick. Either #2 or #3

 

[Chevy]

It's interesting you pick on McDonald's "personality" from a "team leadership" standpoint. I'm seeing McDonald's "personality" as a huge team leadership asset and definitely a recognized team leader by year 3, if not sooner. A player doesn't have to have a loud voice, be a motormouth, and a big rah-rah guy to be a team leader. Not that you're giving those as a criteria; that's just a stereotype I pulled out of my ass. What "personality" traits do you see as being necessary for a team leader on the Seahawks, and where does McDonald's personality fall short?

McDonald strikes me as a "leads-by-example" kind of guy, who will set an example and influence others with his film study, football intellect, and engage teammates with him in that stuff, and then on the field, lead with his overall high motor, work habits, analyze-and-adjust ability, and (projected) excellent results. I get a Cliff Avril type of vibe from McDonald, in a lot of different ways. Also, McDonald explicitly made a lot of good navigational choices in his life to be in the position he's in, stuck with his choices, did the work, a bloom-where-you're-planted type of guy, now potentially a top-10 draft pick.

I think McDonald will be very successful in the NFL and would love to see the Seahawks grab him. I re-watched some of the Seahawks 2013-2014 games and the "speed and togetherness" of that LOB defense really stood out. Guys knowing their jobs and their fit in the scheme and playing fast. McDonald could be a great asset in Pete's vision of an LOB 2.0 type of elite defense.

I may not have made my point with that post. My point was don't overdraft a prospect because he was a vocal team leader in college on a talented team. That is how I feel about will Anderson. Good player, but I feel like he is overrated because of college production and the being a team leader. Which is why the Raiders overdraft Clelin Ferrell.

A lot of prospects get interviewed and say all the right things which don't line up with how they play on the field...disingenuous. Whereas McDonald is a genuine person and doesn't talk false bravado. Which is how Bobby Wagner was early in the NFL, and developed into a team leader. Which is what I think McDonald may develop and he doesn't that's fine.

Re-reading this I confused myself.

Main ideas from this...
1. Don't overdraft a prospect becuase he was a team leader. Its a bonus, but don't put too much weight behind it in the evaluation of a prospect.
2. Prospects that talk tuff during interviews about how the play, but their words don't match with how they play on the field. Don't put to much, if any, weight behind it in the evaluation of the prospect.
3. Will McDonald is a authentic person in the video. He doesn't talk tuff, even though his game tape shows he is tuff. This video made me like him even more than I had before, which was to-10.

 

[Chevy]

Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, was the only head coach at Will McDonald's Pro Day. Tomlin always shows his hand on the prospects he wants. So I think Will McDonald's draft floor is the Steelers at #17. The talk of drafting him at #20 may be wishful thinking.

 

[Chevy]

Travon Walker?

Young & Stroud, seem to be the consensus top 2.

As much as Chevy will try to convince you otherwise, McDonald isn't going to be the #1 pick.

The issue for the Hawks at 5, is figuring out who is worthy of taking at that spot. The logical choice would've been Carter. But you're now left to choose from a group of imperfect prospects. Some have major red flags. Other's are total projections.

I have never tried to convince anyone that McDonald is "going" to be the Seahawks #1 pick. You just got your feeling hurt because I called you out , in this thread, about supposedly discovering McDonald a few months ago.

I also, don't make definitive statements like you just did.

 

[CactusJack]

I have never tried to convince anyone that McDonald is "going" to be the Seahawks #1 pick. You just got your feeling hurt because I called you out , in this thread, about supposedly discovering McDonald a few months ago.

I also, don't make definitive statements like you just did.

No hurt feelings. None at all. I was more or less teasing you.

 

[Chevy]

No hurt feelings. None at all. I was more or less teasing you.

Oh, my bad.

It's hard to tell reading as opposed to talking amongst friends.

I talk about Will McDonald a lot because I truely believe he is the generational defensive player in the draft. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. Traits, production, and projection are how I look at prospects. TPP, the Ps can be flipped.

 

[CactusJack]

Oh, my bad.

It's hard to tell reading as opposed to talking amongst friends.

I talk about Will McDonald a lot because I truely believe he is the generational defensive player in the draft. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. Traits, production, and projection are how I look at prospects. TPP, the Ps can be flipped.

I see only one "generational" type of player in this draft. Spoiler: He's a RB.

I actually like McDonald quite a bit. I would be more than happy to take him at 20.

Prior to the combine, I looked at Jalen Carter as the one true difference maker on that side of the ball. If he didn't have any red flags, he would be the consensus #1 guy in my eyes.

 

[CactusJack]

 

[CactusJack]

Iowa State 3-4 DE Will McDonald (6'4" 245lbs) has maybe the highest upside as a 3-4 OLB in the draft.

Sold.

 

[olyfan63]

I may not have made my point with that post. My point was don't overdraft a prospect because he was a vocal team leader in college on a talented team. That is how I feel about will Anderson. Good player, but I feel like he is overrated because of college production and the being a team leader. Which is why the Raiders overdraft Clelin Ferrell.

A lot of prospects get interviewed and say all the right things which don't line up with how they play on the field...disingenuous. Whereas McDonald is a genuine person and doesn't talk false bravado. Which is how Bobby Wagner was early in the NFL, and developed into a team leader. Which is what I think McDonald may develop and he doesn't that's fine.

Re-reading this I confused myself.

Main ideas from this...
1. Don't overdraft a prospect becuase he was a team leader. Its a bonus, but don't put too much weight behind it in the evaluation of a prospect.
2. Prospects that talk tuff during interviews about how the play, but their words don't match with how they play on the field. Don't put to much, if any, weight behind it in the evaluation of the prospect.
3. Will McDonald is a authentic person in the video. He doesn't talk tuff, even though his game tape shows he is tuff. This video made me like him even more than I had before, which was to-10.

Thanks for the clarifications! I know the Seahawks like to look at whether a player was a team captain in College or High School as a "bonus" criteria in drafting. You're just saying not to overvalue that, and not to draft a guy based on his interview, because guys can give smooth interviews and not back it up on the field or in the work habits, weight room, etc. A WR draft prospect needs to be able to show he can "catch" contested balls, not just "talk" about their "philosophy" for contested catches.

McDonald's tape showed a lot of "philosophy" of pass rushing and sacking QBs being successfully executed on the field, including against legit competition. If the Seahawks manage to trade down a few spots and grab him, he looks like a terrific get.