Texans Discussed Multiple Trades to Ensure They Got Kayden McDonald

The Houston Texans were going to do whatever it took to end up with Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.

To the point where it seems like Texans general manager Nick Caserio had multiple trades in place to move up and select him outside of their ultimate trade up to pick 36.

According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, Caserio had not only discussed a trade-up scenario to pick 33 in order to select McDonald, but also poked around at the end of the first round after pick 26 to try and land a second selection:

"GM Nick Caserio, one of the league's most avid traders, worked on multiple scenarios to get Kayden McDonald at No. 36," Fowler said. "He was prepared to trade to No. 33 to get him, and on the draft's first night, he explored a late first-round trade-in..."

Everyone knows how much Caserio loves to make deals around this time of year. The Texans general manager even mentioned himself that Houston was close to making another trade down the board later in day two for the selection that would turn out to be Michigan tight end Marlin Klein at pick 59.

But in this case, it wasn't as much as the Texans remaining flexible on draft day as it was having an eye on a specific prospect on the board.

That was the Ohio State All-American defender in McDonald, who would end up as the third player at his position taken off the board entirely, but was clearly a top target for Houston to beef up their defensive line––whether it be in the back-half of round one, or the beginning of day two.

Texans Had Clear Desire to End Up With Kayden McDonald

Houston had two must-need areas of their roster to attack at the top of this year's draft: interior offensive line, and the interior of their defensive line, in that order.

The Texans stumpled upon the perfect fit for their offensive line needs with Keylan Rutledge in round one, who projects to fill into their left guard or center spot as a run-blocking-focused, aggressive and relentless force on the interior for the next several seasons.

They traded up to get Rutledge, but still drafted him at a stock slightly higher than the general consensus to ensure they got the prospect they had eyes on.

McDonald presented a bit of a different situation. His stock fell slightly further down the board from initially expected, as someone who could've gone as high as the middle of the first round by some experts.

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) celebrates a fumble recovery by defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) during the NCAA football game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. Ohio State won 34-16. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McDonald was viewed as perhaps the best-run defender and defensive tackle prospect in the class, to then falling completely out of round one, and into the early portions of round two that gave the Texans prime opportunity to strike on a move to swoop in and get him.

Thre Texans might've been able to stand pat at pick 38 and test their luck for McDonald to fall into their laps, and they might've been successful in doing so.

Instead, Caserio wasn't leaving any stone unturned in the best route to land his coveted prospect, and did so by moving up a couple of spots with the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a swap of day two and three picks.

It goes to show that in the chaos of the NFL draft, there's a ton that goes on behind the scenes that might not meet the public eye, at least at first.

But for the Texans, their intentions regarding McDonald all along are starting to become clear: this staff saw something special in him to be their defensive tackle target in mind, and in the end, they were lucky enough to get their hands on him.

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