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0:452026 NFL Draft Grades: Texans Select Kayden McDonald No. 36
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8:44Breaking Down the AFC South Offseason Checklist
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11:13Biggest Questions Facing the AFC South Post-Draft
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1:36Geico Feel Good Moment: Texans Drafting DL Kayden McDonald In 2nd Round
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11:24Breaking Down Josh Edwards' Day 2 NFL Mock Draft
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1:41Ohio State: Will Smith Jr. or John Walker to Replace McDonald?
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1:14Chance for No DTs Selected in the 1st Round
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0:452026 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: DT Kayden McDonald
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1:01Expectations For DT Kayden McDonald At Pro Day
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6:45Kayden McDonald NFL Combine Interview
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0:50JUST STOP IT: Ohio State leaves Washington's Demond Williams nowhere to run, nowhere to hide
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1:08Elite 11 Finals Draft: Ohio State Commit Brady Edmunds - Pick #16
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0:38Brad Crawford's 2nd Year Starts: No. 3 Devin Sanchez
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1:29Heisman Odds: Sayin or Smith?
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1:39What to Expect: Michigan under Kyle Whittingham
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1:58Fact or Fiction: Will Jeremiah Smith Win the 2026 Heisman Trophy?
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9:35Chip Patterson's Big Ten CFB Power Rankings
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1:492026 College Football Games to Watch: Oregon at Ohio State
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1:122026 College Football Games to Watch: Ohio State at Texas
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1:44CBS Sports 138 CFB Rankings: Contention Amongst No. 1
Draft Scouting Report
Pro Comparison: Derrick Nnadi
Summary
With McDonald, what you see is what you get. He is a two-down nose tackle through and through, but an elite one for someone who only just turned 21 years old. To dominate at such a strength-based position at that age is notable. His ability to play with consistent leverage is exceptional on tape and will be no fun to try to block in the NFL.
About
- 2025: Unanimous All-American; Big Ten DL of the Year
- 2025: 65 tackles (third-most by FBS DT); 9.0 TFL (led Big Ten DT)
Strengths
- Super-stout anchor in the run game; great vs. double teams for a young DT.
- Active hands to get off blocks; can win late.
- Gets low into contact; can reset the line of scrimmage immediately.
Weaknesses
- Not the kind of athlete to offer much more than a little pocket push as a pass rusher.
- Can get cut off on wide runs if he doesn’t read it at the snap.
- Smaller upper half for a defensive tackle; limits his ability to control defenders.
Top Kayden McDonald News
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Texans' Kayden McDonald: Selected by Texans
The Texans selected McDonald in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 36th overall.
The Texans traded up with the Raiders to take McDonald, a classic nose tackle in stature (6-foot-2, 326 pounds) but one who finds the ball carrier much more often than most two-gap defensive tackles. McDonald set the interior anchor for Ohio State's smothering defense in 2025, yet even while working through the thickest part of the trenches McDonald managed to accumulate 65 tackles (nine for a loss) in 14 games. The Texans run defense and pass rush were both already strong, yet with McDonald in the rotation it gets even tougher to block the Texans.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-3, 326 lbs |
| Birthplace: Suwanee, GA |
| Age: 21 |