HOUSTON — New Texans rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald believes he’s the best player in the 2026 draft and will use falling to the second round as motivation.
“Everybody that went before me, that fuels me,” McDonald said to local reporters. “There’s not one player better than me in this class. I’m going to show it. I’m coming in to work.”
The former Ohio State defensive tackle was high on the Texans’ board, so high that Houston traded its No. 38 pick and its only third-round pick (No. 91) coming into Friday to the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire pick No. 36. The Texans wanted to add a different dimension to their defensive line room as most of the group hovered closer to 300 pounds since DeMeco Ryans became the coach in 2023. For example, their current starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is listed at 305 and their offseason free agent signing Logan Hall is listed at 283 pounds.
McDonald was listed at 326 pounds at the combine and is perfectly equipped to handle constant double teams. At Ohio State he earned first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. In 2025, he finished with 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy (nation’s top interior lineman).
It was an emotional draft sequence for McDonald as he anticipated getting drafted on Day 1. He wasn’t selected but he was invited to stay in Pittsburgh for the second round. The person who invited him to stay?
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
McDonald accepted the offer and Houston made his wait short, causing him to burst into tears. “This is a once in a lifetime experience,” McDonald said. “The Texans believe in me. Coach [Matt] Burke, Coach Ryans, [Texans general manger Nick] Caserio, those guys believe in me. It was emotional seeing my family. I came from nothing. This is crazy to me.”
McDonald joins a Texans defense that allowed the second-fewest points per game (17.3) and fewest yards per game (279) in 2025. The unit features All-Pros in cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and defensive end Danielle Hunter. There are Pro Bowlers in linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, safety Calen Bullock and cornerback Kamari Lassiter.
Anderson finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and earned a historic three-year, $150 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback ever. Hunter also signed a one-year $40 million extension. “We already got the pieces on the outside,” McDonald said. “Adding me, it’s going to be special. It’s going to be hard to score on us. The defensive line coach [told me] I was the best defensive tackle in the class. I knew that they were coming to get me.”
