Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Profile: DT, Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 01: Kayden McDonald #98 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on during a college football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on November 01, 2025 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry gets grief for an inability to find a decent wide receiver, but he has been pretty successful when it comes to acquiring defensive tackles.

A year ago, the club drafted Mason Graham in the first round and signed Maliek Collins as a free agent. Together, they formed a stout presence in the middle of the defensive line until Collins was lost for the season with an injury.

This year, it was Kalia Davis who joined the team in free agency, a signing that has surprisingly gone under the radar for a player who started every game a year ago for the San Francisco 49ers in a playoff season.

Berry has some other roster holes to address in the draft, but if he wants to add more firepower to the defensive line, it could be worth keeping an eye on Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.

Name: Kayden McDonald

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 326 pounds

College: Ohio State Buckeyes

2025 Defensive Stats: 14 games, 65 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Career Defensive Stats: 34 games, 85 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Average “Big Board” Position as of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 31st overall, projected first round

The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Round 1 – Pro Bowl Caliber

What an Expert is Saying

Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

A talented run defender, McDonald plays with natural leverage and rattles pads with his initial contact. He’s quick to locate ball-carriers, play off blocks, and rally to the action. His technique is a bit underdeveloped, and he’s not a natural drain-clogger against double teams, but he still managed an unusually high tackle rate as an interior defender. Quicker hand strikes should allow for more efficient reps and earlier wins at the point. He offers limited rush value, so his money will be made by giving grief to centers and guards as an even-front nose tackle with starting potential.

What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):

Dane Brugler at The Athletic:

A one-year starter at Ohio State, McDonald lined up as the nose guard in defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s versatile front. After handling a backup role as a sophomore, he became a starter in 2025, as the Buckeyes had to replace all four starters from their 2024 national title-winning defensive line. McDonald emerged as an All-American and was the most dominant defensive player on several of Ohio State’s 2025 tapes, which says a lot considering the defense’s talent.

McDonald’s powerful skill set is at its best when he acts as a run defender. He resets the line of scrimmage with his initial burst and power, attacking and shucking blocks from a leveraged position. He plays games of peek-a-boo (and often wins) with ball carriers willing to test A-gap run lanes, and his awareness allows him to fill up the stat sheet with line-of-scrimmage stops. However, he had just 695 career snaps (32 defensive snaps per game in 2025), and his inexperience will be more noticeable against NFL blockers.

McDonald will require time to develop a pass-rush identity, but his dominant run-game qualities will make him immediately useful from different interior alignments. He projects as an early-down rookie, with a role that should continue to expand.

Fit with the Browns

As good as the Browns defense can be, there are still too many times when the unit can’t stop the other team from running the ball when it matters. Adding a player like McDonald, who at the college level had the strength to dominate blockers and be a disruption in the backfield against the run, would be beneficial.

McDonald struggles as a pass rusher, but the Browns have Maliek Collins and a guy named Myles Garrett to take care of that, so the coaches could probably live for the time being with having to coach up McDonald in that area while being an asset in stopping the run.

Browns Player Drafting Could Impact

Mason Graham is set, and the Browns just signed Kalia Davis in free agency, so he should be comfortable as well. Maliek Collins was name-checked by owner Jimmy Haslam in the offseason, so he should be OK, but he is the old man of the group, so you never know.

That would leave Mike Hall Jr., who has done little in his two years with the Browns, and Sam Kamara as the potential odd men out.

Priority: Low

What are your thoughts on Kayden McDonald? Should the Browns select a defensive tackle in the first round for the second year in a row? Let us know in the comments!