The Kansas City Chiefs went all defense in round one of the NFL Draft last April — trading up for cornerback Trent McDuffie before selecting defensive end George Karlaftis III.
In fact, five of their first six picks in 2022 went into Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has general manager Brett Veach continuing that trend in round one of 2023 during his April 11 mock draft — with defensive end Will McDonald IV out of Iowa State.
“The McDonald stat I love most? He had 10 career forced fumbles,” the long-time NFL scouting expert reasoned. “He gets to quarterbacks but also understands how to create turnovers. (Will Anderson Jr. had just one forced fumble in his career at Alabama.) McDonald is an explosive player with a high ceiling. The Super Bowl champs could add him to the edge rotation with George Karlaftis and free agent addition Charles Omenihu.”
Kiper did add a disclaimer that fans should “keep Kansas City in mind for the wideouts in this [draft] class” as well.
Will McDonald Brings ‘Speed’ & ‘Burst’ Off the Edge
NFL Network scouting expert Lance Zierlein compared McDonald to long-time Dallas Cowboys and current Denver Broncos D-end Randy Gregory.
“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,” he detailed. “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.”
Sheesh Will McDonald IV 😤 🌪
Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network also touted McDonald’s wealth of experience (48 games at Iowa State) and speed. “As a pass rusher, McDonald is a speed rusher who uses a quick first step at the snap to attack the outside edges of offensive tackles,” he scouted. “At the apex of the rush, McDonald shows to have hand counters (two-hand swipe, cross chop) that he can use to get the edge and turn the corner on offensive linemen to finish at the quarterback—showcasing fluid hips as well. McDonald is a smooth strider who, when his foot cadence times up with his hands, flashes the potential to be a high-level edge rusher on the next level.”
Sanchez was worried about his overall play strength on the line of scrimmage, especially versus the run, but McDonald profiles as more of a third-down rusher at his core. During those 48 games at Iowa State, he accumulated 34 sacks and 40.5 tackles for a loss, with 125 total tackles, seven passes defended and the 10 aforementioned forced fumbles.
Mel Kiper Sends Chiefs WR in Round 2
Kiper did make good on his wide receiver promise in round two. The Chiefs went this route last year, grabbing Skyy Moore as the lone offensive selection in the first four rounds.
*By the way, Kiper actually predicted the Moore pick correctly last April.*
This time, KC chooses Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims Jr. according to the ESPN analyst.
“Let’s finish up with a playmaker for the the Chiefs,” Kiper wrote for his final note of the two-round mock. “Mims averaged more than 20 yards per reception in each of the past two seasons. He has a flair for the spectacular, though he had some concentration drops. He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the combine, so he can blow by almost any cornerback. He wouldn’t have to carry a huge load as a rookie for Kansas City, but there are plenty of open snaps for receivers who can get open.”
It’s very likely that Veach adds one or two rookies to his WR corps this April/May cycle.
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Chiefs Predicted to Land ‘Explosive’ Turnover Machine