The pro football world is descending on Indianapolis for the annual NFL Scouting Combine this week, where 2023 draft prospects will be put through a gauntlet of on-field workouts, off-field medical exams, media appearances, and interviews with teams like the New Orleans Saints.
So it’s going to be a busy week for all involved. The Saints will be working through the long list of hundreds of draft prospects as they seek to build their big board. One name to look out for comes from Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, who suggested Iowa State defensive lineman Will McDonald IV as someone the Saints should be scouting in Indianapolis:
McDonald was listed at 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds last season, but he weighed in at 241 pounds at the Senior Bowl and would need to bulk up even more to meet the Saints’ standards at defensive end. Of their players under contract for 2023, you’ve got Jordan (listed at 287), Tanoh Kpassagnon (listed at 289), Payton Turner (who said he was playing “in the 280’s” last season), and Carl Granderson (who weighed in at 285 pounds for training camp last summer).
But maybe the Saints are going to value a different athletic profile at defensive end now that Todd Grantham is coaching the group instead of Ryan Nielsen. It’s still Dennis Allen’s defense, but the position coach’s input has to matter to some extent. McDonald was effective in college and should do well at the combine this week. Let’s see if it helps him get on New Orleans’ radar.
