Of all the draft prospects, pound for pound, nobody was a bigger draft steal than Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald to the Houston Texans. However, as expected, the former Ohio State standout felt disrespected for being picked in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Georgia native believes he walks into Houston with a chip on his shoulder and promises to outperform every prospect who went ahead of him and make sure every program that picked somebody over him will pay the price.

“Like I said, I always felt like the underdog,” Kayden McDonald said. “Even when I was growing up. Like I said, I always get the short end of the stick. And like I said, it’s all good because it’s gonna add fuel to the fire. Day one, everybody that went before me, that’s what fuels me. Like I said, there’s not one player better than me in this class. And like I said, I’m gonna show it. I’m gonna show it from the first day I’m coming in to work.”

It wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up as the best Ohio State player in this year’s draft class. His primary role will be to use his strength and low center of gravity to stop the run by preventing running backs from finding interior gaps.

Kayden McDonald’s fall was especially shocking given his resume: as a unanimous All-American, the Big-10 Defensive Player of the Year, and one of only 16 players invited to the green room, both analysts and betting markets had pegged him as a first-round lock.

Unfortunately, instead, he had to watch 32 players get drafted in front of him, including two defensive tackles: Caleb Banks out of Florida and Peter Woods from Clemson. By the end of pick 32, McDonald and Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood were the only players remaining in the green room.

If you watched the draft, the cameras were all on his face, capturing his disappointment after the first round ended. Shortly afterward, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited him personally backstage. Goodell encouraged him to stay in Pittsburgh for Day 2 and specifically told McDonald he wanted him to be on stage so he could give him a hug when he was finally picked.

When Day 2 finally rolled around, he didn’t have to wait long. The Houston Texans decided to trade their No. 38 and No. 91 (third-round) picks to the Las Vegas Raiders to move up just two spots to No. 36 overall to get Kayden. Analysts believe the reason behind this jump was to block the New York Giants (No. 37), who were looking for a replacement for the recently traded Dexter Lawrence.

When his name was finally called, the emotions totally took over. He was sobbing as he hugged his family, and when he got on stage, he gave the commissioner the hug they had talked about. Even the commissioner seems to know that he’s about to cook in Houston. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), McDonald posted a 91.8 run-defense grade, the highest among all FBS interior defensive linemen. His production backed it up: 65 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in just 14 games.

The real question for the Texans is how McDonald will enhance an already scary defense that dominated the league last season.

Kayden McDonald’s place in the Texans’ defense

Houston had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season. They finished ranked #1 in the league in total yards allowed per game (277) and allowed only about 17.4 or 18.4 points per game, the second-best performance in the league. Now, with this pick, it’s only going to get better.

In head coach DeMeco Ryans’ aggressive 4-3 defensive scheme, Kayden will primarily play as the 1-technique defensive tackle. His main job is stopping the run and a little bit of help in the middle. Because he is strong and stays low, he can stop running backs from finding space up the middle. By taking on double teams from the offensive line, he makes things easier for the Texans’ linebackers and edge rushers like Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. to get sacks.

He’ll sit right behind veterans like Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai, but he is expected to play a ton of snaps in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Most experts are giving the Texans an “A” for this pick because they got a first-round talent without having to pay first-round prices.