Silver And Black Pride
Heading into the offseason, one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest needs is a defensive tackle who can plug up holes in the running game. The unit lacked a true nose tackle that was an immovable force, so Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald should be on the Raiders’ radar heading into the 2026 NFL draft.
McDonald was one of the best interior run defenders in the country this past season, ranking first at his position with a 91.2 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus. He also topped the charts with an impressive 30 defensive stops and a 13.8 percent run stop rate, posting a 1.5-yard average depth of tackle. The 6-foot-3, 326-pounder clearly can be an impact player on early downs, which is why he’s considered a potential first- to early-second-round pick this April.
Especially since Las Vegas is expected to use the No. 1 overall selection on a quarterback, the former Buckeye would be a great option if the organization wants to trade back into round one, or if he’s still available with the 36th selection. So, let’s dive into the tape and see what the big man could bring to the Raiders.
Taking on double teams is a big part of the game for nose tackles, and while McDonald is lined up as a 4i-technique in the clip above, he does a great job of staying in his gap and making the tackle near the line of scrimmage while taking on a combo block.
Texas runs mid zone right at him, where the right guard and tackle block him on the first level of the defense before the guard works up to the second level to go get the linebacker. However, McDonald attacks the man he’s lined up across from (the tackle) and takes on the block with good pad level and a wide base, allowing him to absorb contact and stay in the b-gap.
Then, when the guard climbs to pick up the backer, the defensive tackle shows color in the C-gap before using his quickness and lateral movement skills to escape the offensive tackle’s block across the offensive tackle’s face to go make the play near the line of scrimmage.
What’s even more impressive is that McDonald should technically protect the inside gap first, but that becomes irrelevant since he attacks and beats the man he’s lined up across from, on top of having the athleticism to still make this tackle.
This time, we’ll get an even better example of the Ohio State product beating the man he’s lined up across from to defeat a double team, as well as a better idea of what his role could look like in Las Vegas.
He’s lined up in the A-gap as a shade nose tackle this time, and Indiana tries to run a halfback dive with the tight end leading through the B-gap. That puts the center and right guard on a combo block against McDonald, where the guard will peel off to pick up the linebacker....
