After playing an integral part of Ohio State’s national championship run in 2024, Kayden McDonald broke out in a massive way in 2025. Ohio State has a handful of potential first-round players headed to the NFL, and McDonald has a great opportunity to be one. A big-bodied nose tackle who eats up space and demands double teams, McDonald grew into what looks to be a solid NFL player and one fans will love rooting for.
More 2026 NFL Draft Profiles
2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kayden McDonald
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 326
Arms: 32.25″
Hands: 9.75″
40-yard: TBD
Vertical: TBD
Broad jump: TBD
RAS: TBD
School: Ohio State
Position: Defensive Tackle
Kayden McDonald NFL Draft Overview
Hailing from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia, McDonald was a highly coveted prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle. He was considered to be a four-star recruit and was rated as the 18th-best defensive lineman in the class. As a recruit, 247Sports considered him a Day 3 pick, so, barring anything unforeseen, he will exceed those expectations.
As a true freshman in 2023, McDonald only appeared in seven games for the Buckeyes, including the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. Over those seven games, he logged just one tackle, half of a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup in his 35 snaps played.
Then, in his championship-winning sophomore season, McDonald was a regular member of the rotation, logging 214 snaps. That year, from his nose tackle position, McDonald amassed 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup.
Last year, he took over as the full-time nose and led all defensive tackles with 446 snaps, also good for third-most along the defensive line. With that, he broke out with 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
He was a unanimous All-American, named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and was an Outland Trophy finalist.
Strengths
Incredible power from within
Is a stone wall in run defense
Great NFL size
Impressively productive despite being an interior defensive lineman
Great football IQ, can identify runs and schemes from the snap
It’s hard to get off him in zone-blocking schemes
Good luck running at him
Weaknesses
Shorer-than-you’d-like arm length
Isn’t as much of a threat as a pass rusher
There may be effort concerns; he sort of takes plays off when it’s an obvious passing down
Needs to work on recovering if taken out of the play
Projection: Late First Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos
Bottom Line on Kayden McDonald
In his breakout season with Ohio State last year, McDonald showed everything you needed to see from a future stud on the interior defensive line. From anchoring down and taking on double teams to just being an absolute headache to gameplan around, McDonald has what it takes.
If you’re looking for him to provide a consistent and dominant pass rush from the 1-tech, you’re going to be a bit disappointed. However, if your team needs a big body who eats up space and can two-gap to disrupt the run game before it gets started, McDonald is your guy. Think of D.J. Reader in his time with the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s not going to be the sexiest pick in the world, but if an NFL team has a solid nose tackle, it makes a world of difference. Good luck running in his direction.