Texans Trade Up To Draft DT Kayden McDonald

The first draft of the second round comes early as the Texans move up two picks to draft Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. They trade places with the Raiders to make the pick, giving Las Vegas pick Nos. 38 & 91 in exchange for pick Nos. 36 & 117.

McDonald was widely expected to be the 2026 NFL Draft class’s only first-round interior defender, opting to attend the festivities in Pittsburgh, but slipped into Day 2 after seeing the Florida’s Caleb Banks and Clemson’s Peter Woods taken in the first round. With teams seeing his name near the top of the list of best remaining players throughout the day, it’s clear he was a priority for a few clubs. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Houston felt the need to trade up ahead of the Giants, a team they expected might take McDonald before they could in order to replace Dexter Lawrence.

After essentially redshirting in his first year with the Buckeyes, McDonald held a rotational role off the bench in the team’s 2024 championship run. 2025 was McDonald’s first and only season as a full-time starter, but the All-American defender showed enough in 14 games to prove he was NFL ready. The disruptive, explosive defensive tackle made plays all over the field for Ohio State notching 65 total tackles, three sacks, and nine tackles for loss. While he was able to produce in the pass rush, he really excelled as a run stopper.

The Texans had quite a few strong contributors on the defensive line last year, with Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai leading the way and Tim Settle rotating in. Settle made his way to Washington in free agency, setting up a perfect role for McDonald to fill as a rookie. Houston’s defense was one of the best in the league last year, and while McDonald has clear starting potential, he may benefit by starting slow in the NFL in a rotational role. If the Texans let Togiai walk in free agency after this year, McDonald will have a clear path to a starting role in Year 2.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.