Who is stopping this defense in 2026?
No, really, who? The last piece of the Infinity Stone unit was added once the Houston Texans were able to move up two spots on Friday night to add a player many thought would be the pick at No. 28.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio isn’t playing games this draft season. After being linked to the Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald for weeks, Caserio ensured that he’d be coming to Houston, trading away two draft picks to move up two spots to select the All-American.
For weeks, McDonald was viewed as a fan favorite for Houston. He previously visited Reliant Stadium following the NFL combine for a top-30 visit. He also met with the Texans for a formal interview at the combine and followed up with the staff at Ohio State’s Pro Day late last month.
Born in Texarkana and later moving to Georgia, McDonald might not fit the typical mold of the defensive tackles DeMeco Ryans has historically sought. Still, perhaps that’s promising, since variety could only bolster the defensive front. More than anything, the Texans need productive players. Enter McDonald, who was the anchor to one of college football’s best run defenses last season under longtime NFL defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
“We felt McDonald was probably the best run defender in the draft. Had a really productive season. Defensive tackle that was involved in 60 tackles or 60-plus tackles, whatever it is. It’s pretty impressive,” Caserio said. “The first unanimous defensive tackle, unanimous All-American defensive tackle in history in Ohio State’s program. They’ve had a few decent players there. So, a good kid, young kid. I mean, plays the season, was 20 years old. Just turned 21. Matt Patricia did a really good job with him this year, got the most out of him. Was a good player, spent a lot of time with him. So, I feel our program will be a good fit. He’ll be a good fit for our program.”
Here’s a quick rundown on McDonald and what he brings to Houston:
The Basics
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 326 pounds
Age: 21
From: Suwanee, Georgia.
Breakdown
“The Buckeyes will have many first-round players in this draft and McDonald very well could be one of them in this interior defensive line class. His 6-foot-2, 326-pound frame eats up blocks in the running game thanks to his play strength and overall power. He hasn’t put much on tape as a pass rusher but he could improve that with time.” – USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly
Lance Zierlein’s Scouting Report
“A talented run defender, McDonald plays with natural leverage and rattles pads with his initial contact. He’s quick to locate ball-carriers, play off of blocks and rally to the action. His technique is a bit underdeveloped and he’s not a natural drain-clogger against double teams, but he still managed an unusually high tackle rate as an interior defender. Quicker hand strikes should allow for more efficient reps and earlier wins at the point. He offers limited rush value, so his money will be made by giving grief to centers and guards as an even-front nose tackle with starting potential.” – NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein
What Nick Caserio said
“The big thing is you have to play to your strengths. What a player does well, let’s accentuate the strengths, and then if a guy has an area that he can improve, then we’ll see if we can get him [DT Kayden McDonald to improve. I think sometimes even a player has a perception, well, I want to be able to do this. Well, okay, look, you’re 6’3″, 330 pounds. The best thing you can do is play strongly at the point of attack. So your pass rush is probably going to be a little bit different than, you know, Denico Autry or somebody else that’s rushing inside there. So you have to play to your strengths.”
What DeMeco Ryans said
“Kayden is a great football player. For me, we’ve had success with smaller defensive linemen. That doesn’t necessarily mean that that was what we were looking for all the time. I’ve worked with some really good coaches who were able to get the best out of players and the traits that they possess. Those smaller guys, explosive traits, they were able to knock back. We’ve seen where you start to lose some in the run game, so you get a guy like Kayden who is not only just a big body, but he is an explosive guy. He has the twitch. He has the explosiveness and he is stout versus the run, that’s a bona fide defensive tackle that’s going to impact our defense in a major way.”
RAS Score
RAS Score: N/A out of a possible 10.00
Grade: A
“While the Texans don’t have a third-round pick anymore, they landed a first-round talent and arguably the best defensive tackle 10 picks after they were on the clock. The 6-foot-2 defensive tackle known for eating space and guards now joins arguably the league’s best defensive line as the next great run-stopper for Ryans’ front seven. He’ll need work in the pass-rushing game, but Houston has options to fill in behind him. They need him to be the last piece on a defensive line to turn them into the NFL’s Avengers. Congrats, league, you just got the Hulk added to the mix.” – Cole Thompson
Year 1 Role
McDonald should serve as a rotational defensive tackle, mostly used on running downs, to anchor the interior of the line, thus forcing running backs to work their way to the corner. Expect him to replace Tommy Togiai on early plays to set the tone.
Highlights
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Breakdown and analysis of new Texans DL Kayden McDonald
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
