Kayden McDonald
21-Year-Old
2025 Defense Stats
TCKL
0
SACKS
0.0
INT
0
FF
0
TD
0
2026 Projections
Selected by Texans
The Texans selected McDonald in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 36th overall.
ANALYSIS
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.
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.
NFL Stats
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Texans 2025 DT Snap DistributionLoading Weekly Snap Counts...
2025 Kayden McDonald Split Stats
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Measurables Review
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How do Kayden McDonald's measurables compare to other defensive tackles?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* The Bench Press metric is from his Pro Day. All others are from the NFL Combine.
Height
6' 2"Weight
326 lbsBench Press*
27 repsHand Length
9.75 inArm Length
32.25 in
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Likely to have immediate role
McDonald is likely to have the chance to start immediately along the Texans' defensive line, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
McDonald was viewed as a borderline first-round prospect, and he was ultimately selected 36th overall by the Texans in the 2026 Draft. Sheldon Rankins is likely to remain in a key role in the middle of Houston's defensive line, but Tommy Togiai was primarily a backup before taking on an expanded role in 2025. McDonald's ability as a run stopper should translate well as a pro, so he could immediately take snaps from Togiai.
McDonald was viewed as a borderline first-round prospect, and he was ultimately selected 36th overall by the Texans in the 2026 Draft. Sheldon Rankins is likely to remain in a key role in the middle of Houston's defensive line, but Tommy Togiai was primarily a backup before taking on an expanded role in 2025. McDonald's ability as a run stopper should translate well as a pro, so he could immediately take snaps from Togiai.