Bills Hint at Interest in Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year at Ohio State Pro Day

Bills brass was present at the Buckeyes Pro Day, creating buzz around one OSU defender.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald runs a drill during Pro Day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center on March 25, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that both Brandon Beane and Joe Brady were credentialed at Ohio State’s Pro Day, Buffalo Bills fans immediately began pointing to a Buckeyes defender as a prime target for the Bills at pick No. 26.

Kayden McDonald is coming off a monstrous season in which he was named the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and has caught the eye of many interested in the Bills selecting him with their first selection of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 326-pound interior defender could be just what the doctor ordered for Buffalo’s leaky run defense.

What he offers

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) reacts before the 2025 Big Ten championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Bills are expected to run out 2025 fourth-round pick Deone Walker at the nose tackle position in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s odd-man defensive front this season, but he could use company. Enter McDonald, who NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein describes as a player who performs with “natural leverage and rattles pads with his initial contact.”

While Zierlein has questions about McDonald’s pass-rush potential, the 21-year-old is more than confident in his versatility up front.

”On early downs, I can stop the run. On third downs, I can push the pocket,” he said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I’m a complete player.”

The stats say…

Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (DL21) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

McDonald was a force for Ohio State, with whom he won a national championship as a sophomore in 2024. During his breakout 2025 campaign, he recorded nine tackles for loss and three sacks to go with 65 tackles. The former Buckeye also forced two fumbles.

“I'll say my preparation,” added McDonald, referring to his strengths. “I believe I’m the best defensive tackle in this draft class. Really pride myself on being consistent, competitive, holding my teammates accountable, and I put it all together—working on my diet and just staying consistent. Just doing what I got to do.”

Buffalo selected McDonald’s former teammate and longtime friend, Jordan Hancock, in the fifth round of the 2025 draft.

“When we were in like middle school, we won a AAU basketball tournament with each other,” said McDonald of Hancock. “He lived a block away from me, so he could walk to my house. His family, I love his family. We just got a really tight bond. I got a lot of respect for him and his family." 

It would be interesting to see the two reunited in Buffalo, where the Bills could benefit greatly from adding a player with such a formidable skill set.