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By Megan Armstrong
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Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald was the only draft hopeful left sitting in the green room when the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft concluded on Thursday night.
McDonald decided to return to the green room for the second and third rounds on Friday, and his name was finally called when the Houston Texans drafted him at No. 36 overall.
McDonald broke down in tears when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called his name, and he remained visibly emotional as he walked toward the stage.
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"This is emotional, man," McDonald told Laura Rutledge on the ESPN broadcast, with tears still streaming down his face. "I knew I was supposed to be here, and I'm just so blessed. I'm just so thankful. I'm just so emotional. Where I came from, now I'm here. It's a blessing."
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Opposing offenses should be crying, too.
The Texans already sported the most menacing defense in the league last season, with playmakers at all three levels. Houston's 47 sacks ranked seventh, and their pass rush was spearheaded by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
Hunter earned a monster one-year contract, and the Texans made Anderson Jr. the highest-paid non-quarterback with a three-year, $150 million extension earlier last week. Now the Texans added McDonald to that line? Forget about it.
McDonald earned All-American honors as a junior at Ohio State last year. He posted two forced fumbles, three sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 65 total tackles, but draft analysts praise him most for his ability to impact the run game.
Watch clips from McDonald's draft dream coming true below.
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