Texans, DT Kayden McDonald Agree to Rookie Contract

‘The Pick Is In’ now streaming on The ESPN App pic.twitter.com/NizjIpd6KU

— NFL (@NFL) May 4, 2026 Battle Red Blog’s Nickschwager and I were fortunate enough to be present of the 2026 NFL Draft, and had the opportunity to talk to Kayden McDonald during his media availability shortly after he was drafted by the Houston Texans: Our very own @FizzyJoe got to ask a question of the Houston #Texans' latest addition to the defense!

Here's Joe Critz with Kayden McDonald. pic.twitter.com/LXoOkmAXKl

— Battle Red Blog (@battleredblog) April 25, 2026 New #Texans DT Kayden McDonald on his rookie season goals:

-Rookie of the Year -Super Bowl -Production pic.twitter.com/Uf99CurZEy

— Nick Schwager (@nick\_\_schwager) April 25, 2026 Reporter to Kayden McDonald: “How could other Christians pray for you?”

Kayden McDonald: “How could other Christians pray for me? Uhh……. they could just pray.” 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/pMh6cgSoVH

— Nick Schwager (@nick\_\_schwager) April 25, 2026 McDonald was the unstoppable force and immovable object rolled into one giant being in the middle of Ohio State’s defense, and he will immediately compete for a starting role on Houston’s vaunted defensive line. Although, Kenneth Levy noted how his change in stance in the Texans’ defensive scheme could generate some early issues: The transition from playing head up in front of the center to playing over the guard is not as simple as one assumes. Playing over the guard – aka the three-technique – requires quickness and lateral agility to sustain leverage over the B gap. At 6’2”, 326 pounds, he is quite definitively larger than any other DT on the roster. – Kenneth Levy, *Top Houston Texans Storylines Heading Into Rookie Minicamp* A fully guaranteed rookie contract, too! Last year, the Texans generated some headlines and controversy for their decision to hand 2025 second-round pick WR Jayden Higgins a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract. A rookie contract being fully guaranteed for a second-round pick was exceptionally rare before that contract…but, since this move by Texans general manager Nick Caserio last year, rookies signing contracts with guaranteed years has become more of the norm. Several players from round two of the 2025 NFL Draft held out of training camp last year in hopes of getting a better contract, and I imagine we’ll see some more of the same this year, too. That is, unless teams follow Houston’s lead and start offering guarantees right off the bat, as they now have a second year in a row with Kayden McDonald. Rookie DT Kayden McDonald pic.twitter.com/e4nvZBZDHc

— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) May 8, 2026 Kayden McDonald on his goals for his rookie year:

“Win a Super Bowl, rookie of the year, All-pro 1st year. These are realistic for me. I wrote this down. I’m blessed to be here & I got a chance.” pic.twitter.com/LrhEEAKhFU

— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) May 8, 2026 Is it suave? Is it silly? Is it another feather in Caserio’s cap, or a fresh stain on his Texans polo? Jayden Higgins came on strong to finish his rookie season last year, but it’s far too early to determine if he’ll end up being worth that “big” deal. Only time will tell if these moves will work out in Houston’s favor, but let this be certain: many, many eyes will be on the careers of Jayden Higgins and Kayden McDonald, as they could be the difference between a Texans Super Bowl run and another Divisional Round exit. What do you think of this news, though? Will McDonald make good on all of the hype and deliver Houston a pro-bowl season, or even a Super Bowl championship? Or, will McDonald struggle in his first year, and put all this guarantee-talk in a bad light? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below! Go Texans!!!!