Texans send a clear message to the NFL of defensive plans with Kayden McDonald pick

Posted on by GoalVerseNews

During the pre-draft process, Houston Texans fans linked two positions to the AFC South franchise as “priority moves” that needed to be addressed before Week 1.

The first was finding stability on the interior offensive line outside of the re-signing of Ed Ingram and the signing of Wyatt Teller. Consider that goal accomplished with the trade-up for Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge on Thursday night.

But the other move was one often put on the back end of Houston’s defense under the DeMeco Ryans regime: defensive tackle. Since arriving, Ryans would often go for team-friendly contracts on the interior, drating only one prospect since 2023.

So when Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald fell into Friday’s second round, Houston knew it had a chance to land a game-changing nose guard who could elevate the run game status. The Texans were high on him enough to make him a target on Day 1, but once he was within range, it became clear that his tape was worth moving up two spots to target.

“We felt McDonald was probably the best run defender in the draft,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Had a really productive season. Defensive tackle that was involved in 60 tackles or 60-plus tackles, whatever it is. It’s pretty impressive.”

Caserio’s not wrong. The 6-foot-2 former Buckeyes star was fresh off a career year under longtime NFL coach Matt Patricia’s defensive look en route to a second straight College Football Playoff appearance. McDonald was named a unanimous All-American after finishing with 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last fall.

“McDonald is a guy we all like,” Ryans said. “Scouts, coaches, everybody, collective group, everybody liked the talent. Young player, but he’s grown. He shows the strength in the run game. He shows the ability to get off blocks and finish. We’re very excited to add a young defensive tackle to that room, and I know he’ll flourish with the guys that he’ll be learning from.”

Sitting at No. 38, the Texans knew they could be at risk of missing out on the Georgia native if they stood pat. After trading away Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, the New York Giants at No. 37 seemed to have interest in upgrading their defensive tackle role, meaning if Houston was all in on McDonald, it would have to make a phone call.

As the Las Vegas Raiders overlooked their draft board, Houston came calling, offering not only its pick in Round 2, but also the third-round pick acquired in the Rutledge trade up Thursday night. The Texans once again were willing to move back over 20 spots — this time to No. 117 — just to move up by two and get their guy.

“You get a guy like Kayden who is not only just a big body, he is an explosive guy,” Ryans said.

McDonald, who weighed in at the NFL combine at 326 pounds, will be the biggest defensive tackle Ryans has worked with full-time since coming over from San Francisco. Often leaning toward the lighter side of defensive linemen, the fourth-year coach noted that size can, at times, be a negative for the Texans’ defense when trying to win battles in the trenches.

With McDonald’s arrival, it might become the final piece to make Houston’s defense historic.

“He has the twitch, and he is stout against the run,” Ryans said. “That’s a bona fide defensive tackle who is going to impact our defense in a major way.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: DeMeco Ryans praises playstyle of new DL Kayden McDonald

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