Former Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Houston Texans on Friday.
McDonald was the fifth Buckeye to be taken in the draft, after the Buckeyes had four players selected in the first-round yesterday.
McDonald was a modestly-ranked recruit. He was ranked as the No. 261 overall player and the No. 35 defensive lineman.
The native of Suwanee, Ga., had to wait his turn to make an impact for the Buckeyes. For the first two seasons of his career, McDonald was a backup at the defensive tackle position. In his freshman season, McDonald had one tackle, but made a serious contribution in 2024.
Helping the Buckeyes to their first national championship since 2014, McDonald was a backup to starters Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton but still made 19 total tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
He earned a starting job last year and played better than almost anyone expected. He finished the season with 65 total tackles, including nine for loss. McDonald also had three sacks.
He helped lead Ohio State to its first 12-0 regular season since 2019 and earned unanimous All-American honors.
He was also named the Big Ten’s Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year. McDonald joins a Houston Texans team that went 12-5 last year. They finished first in the AFC South before losing to the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs.
McDonald will reunite with his former teammate and current Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud.
