Houston Texans’ defensive tackle Kayden McDonald is already making an impression on his teammates, including All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
Anderson has seen McDonald improve a lot over the past few months and take good care of his body, which will be incredibly important for his durability this season.
“I’ve been really pleased with him,” Anderson said. “He’s grown a lot over these last couple of months. Has his body in good shape. His mindset’s getting there. He’s been leaning on us big time. He’s been learning the system. He’s been good, taking care of his body. We told him we need you. You’re going to be playing a lot for us. He’s taking that as a challenge. He’s gotten better every single practice. Every practice we watch, he’s taking that step of becoming exactly who we need him to be on this defense.”
McDonald’s stats were unimpressive in his first two years of college. But in his final season at Ohio State under new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, he emerged as one of the best defensive tackles in the country with 65 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
His impressive season led him to be named an All-American even though he slipped into the second round of the NFL Draft.
He made his debut for the Texans in their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he recorded two tackles. McDonald could get more playing time and cause more disruption in Houston’s next preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders this coming Thursday, where he will have the opportunity to face rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Will Anderson Jr. pleased with rookie Kayden McDonald’s performance in training camp
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
