HOUSTON – Ohio State consensus All-American defensive tackle Kayden McDonald joined the Texans in the second round, further bolstering the top-ranked defense in the draft.
“They said I was the best defensive tackle in the draft,” McDonald said when asked about his interactions with the Texans coaching staff during his visit to Reliant Stadium. “The upside is there. I’m a physical player and I set the tone.”
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Having McDonald along with Pro Bowl defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter and fellow defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai, whom the Texans coaches said McDonald reminds them of, and Logan Hall is a formidable defensive line to go with Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter and Pro Bowl safety Calen Bullock and safety Reed Blankenship.
“It’s going to be tough to score on us,” McDonald said. “We already got the pieces on defense. Adding me, it’s gonna be special. The defensive line coach told me I was the best in the class. I knew that they were coming to get me.”
McDonald was drafted 36th overall after a trade in the second round with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Texans traded the 38th overall pick and 117th overall selection of the fourth round in exchange for the Raiders’ original 36th overall pick and the 91st overall selection in the third round.
One of the top defensive players in the draft, McDonald visited the Texans in advance of the NFL draft.
“Everybody that went before me, that’s what fuels me,” McDonald said. “There’s not one player better than me in this class. I’m gonna show it. I’m coming in to work.
The Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year and first-round draft target had a formal meeting with the Texans at the NFL scouting combine.
McDonald has multiple visits, including the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Texans could use a young, athletic defensive tackle for their top-ranked defense to work in tandem with Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai and Logan Hall.
McDonald, a Texarkana native who grew up in Suwanee, Georgia, provides a dominant inside presence at 6-foot-2 1/8, 326 pounds and operates with outstanding leverage and pad level. The first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection recorded 65 tackles last season for the Buckeyes with three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
The breakout season propelled him into position to be one of the first defensive tackles off the board in April.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com