Former Ohio State Buckeyes' star defender Kayden McDonald lands with the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the No. 36 pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald. McDonald skyrocketed up draft boards in the pre-draft process as he established himself as one of the top defensive tackles available while being one of the top players period in this NFL Draft.
McDonald, like his former teammate Arvell Reese, is one of the better stories in all of college football last season. At this time last year, McDonald was an unknown player and as he sits here today, he is a first round draft pick. Scenarios like this happen all the time at Ohio State as elite players are stashed behind their elite teammates on the depth chart. When the roster resets, they sometimes have just 12 to 14 games to prove to the world what they are and McDonald did just that in 2025.
He was a menace up front for the Buckeyes. Statistically, his numbers don't necessarily jump off the page. He finished the year with just 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss and only a couple of sacks.
However, at the defensive tackle position, those numbers are very good for that job description. The tape is what tells the truth for the McDonald. He was nearly impossible to block up front, opponents consistently needed to double team him up front because a solo block was not an option for him.
The Buckeyes elite defense in 2025 was in due in large part to the collection of elite players that they had at every position but it started up front. One of the reasons that Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs looked so good making tackles at the line of scrimmage was because McDonald was in front of them, eating up blocks.
Now, McDonald is set to join the Texans, who have their eyes set on not only getting back to the playoffs, but winning their division and making consistent runs at the Lombardi Trophy. At pick No. 36 they felt that McDonald gives them the next best chance to get that job done.
McDonald is the fifth Ohio State Buckeye selected in this year's NFL Draft, and will have an instant impact with the Texans as he begins his NFL career.
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