Thursday night didn’t play out the way defensive tackle Kayden McDonald hoped, but he’s planning to use falling to the second round as motivation.
McDonald was one of 17 players who were in attendance for the first round and was one of two that did not hear their names called. McDonald chose to return for Friday night’s second round and got his moment on stage with Roger Goodell when the Texans traded up to select him at No. 36.
After he got picked, McDonald vowed to show the league that he should have come off the board earlier.
“Everybody that went before me, that fuels me,” McDonald said, via DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN.com. “There’s not one player better than me in this class. I’m going to show it. I’m coming in to work.”
McDonald had 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks at Ohio State last season.
Texans Clips
Texans General Manager Nick Caserio doesn’t mince words when it comes to shooting down trade rumors.
Earlier this offseason, he called speculation about the team trading quarterback C.J. Stroud “moronic” and he was equally dismissive on Friday when asked about reports that teams have been calling the Texans about dealing for wide receiver Nico Collins.
“Teams call all the time and ask about players. We’re not trading Nico Collins,” Caserio said in a press conference. “Whoever reported it or whatever information that they had, they can shove it. We’re not trading Nico.”
Caserio may not be trading Collins, but the team may need to work out something on the contract front with their top receiver. Collins has two years left on his current deal with salaries of $20 million and $21.2 million while the receiver market has skyrocketed thanks to new deals for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase and others since Collins signed his extension in 2024.
The Texans have traded up with the Raiders for the No. 36 overall pick.
With that selection — the fourth of the second round — Houston selected Kayden McDonald out of Ohio State.
One of the top defensive tackles in this year’s class, McDonald stared for just one year at Ohio State. But he was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and a firs-team All-Big Ten honoree.
He appeared in 36 career games with 14 starts for the Buckeyes, tallying 11.0 tackles for loss with three sacks, two forced fumbles, and three passes defensed.
McDonald was the one player left in the green room in Pittsburgh after Thursday night’s selections.
The Texans sent the Raiders No. 38 and No. 91 in exchange for No. 36 and No. 117 in this year’s draft.
The Houston Texans are no strangers to trading up in round one. That’s how they got Will Anderson three years ago.
This time around, they didn’t move up as far. In a trade with the Bills, the Texans have moved up from No. 28 to No. 26, selecting Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge.
The Texans need good offensive linemen. In recent years, they’ve been struggling to find the right formula.
To get to No. 26 (plus pick No. 91), the Texans have sent No. 28, 69, and 167 to Buffalo.
If better offensive line play can get more out of quarterback C.J. Stroud, it will have been worth it.
Texans pass rusher Will Anderson signed a three-year, $150 million contract this week that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, and he says the reason the contract matters to him is that he can now afford to do anything for his family.
“It’s really never, ever been about the money for me,” Anderson said. “I just think about my family, everything we endured growing up, all the hard times, everything. To get to retire my parents early, to get to see my sisters, my nieces and nephews, the rest of my family, I think that’s the biggest blessing for me.”
Anderson said that when his agent called him to tell him the deal was done, he was so emotional he couldn’t stop crying.
“I literally just dropped to my knees in total thanks,” Anderson said. “Tears. And then I had to get on the flight the same day and I felt bad for the lady sitting beside me, because she was probably concerned about me because I was crying the whole flight. Then we FaceTimed my parents . . . my whole family just went crazy. It was a big moment for us. It was bigger than me. I think about my family, everything we’ve been through, to be able to bless them just as much as they’ve blessed me.”
Anderson said his family is what he keeps coming back to when he reflects on what the contract means.
“My family is set. That’s it,” Anderson said. “My mom working overtime, my dad working overtime . . . my family is one of my biggest purposes that I do this for.”
Three years ago, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Texans defensive end Will Anderson entered the NFL as back-to-back top-three picks.
On Tuesday, Anderson met with reporters to discuss a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, based on new-money average.
He was asked if he heard from Stroud after agreeing to terms.
“He had texted me,” Anderson said. “It was great. But coming in with C.J. has been awesome. It can be kind of hard when you come in by yourself and you got to figure things out, figure people out. But coming in with C.J. was great because we had each other our rookie year and we still got each other now. But to be able to come in with somebody who’s also God-fearing as well but also loves his craft, loves to get better, and loves to see the guys around him succeed and also is a leader, too.
“It was great for me because the days I was down, he was picking me up. The days he was down, I was picking him up. We just toughed it out and we did it.”
The job is only half finished, however. Anderson has his long-term deal. Stroud does not. Despite the Texans’ foresight when it comes to getting first-round picks who work out signed to a new contract after their third NFL seasons (they’ve done it with Anderson and, a year ago, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.), Stroud has yet to get a new deal.
The situation highlights the basic realities of Stroud’s status with the team. The Texans have made it clear that he’s their guy. Given his struggles in 2025 (especially in the postseason), a second contract possibly will wait until after 2026.
The absence of a new deal, if that’s how it goes, raises the stakes for the coming season. With Stroud fifth-year option exercised, decision time would arrive in 2027 — unless the jury remains out on the value of a second contract and the Texans decide to wait until after Stroud has completed five NFL seasons before negotiating a second deal.
The World Cup is coming soon. And it’s quickly becoming a pain in the posterior for the 13 teams playing in stadiums that will be commandeered for intercontinental soccer.
Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal recently reviewed some of the practical impacts of FIFA bigfooting the various venues where fútbol will be played. This week, for example, the Jets and Giants will move their annual draft parties away from MetLife Stadium to Manhattan.
In all, 13 teams are impacted by the World Cup: the Cowboys, Jets, Giants, Falcons, Chiefs, Texans, 49ers, Chargers, Rams, Eagles, Seahawks, Patriots, and Dolphins.
For the teams that have employees at the stadiums hosting World Cup games, many will be moved. Those who are staying put will be subject to FIFA credentialing to get into their workplaces. And the Giants will start training camp in West Virginia, since MetLife Stadium will be hosting the final match on July 19 on a grass field that will need to be removed and replaced with one of the worst artificial surfaces in the entire league.
That last part still has to be the most galling for NFL players. Owners with stadiums that don’t have grass have bent over backwards to do whatever had to be done to placate FIFA. Their regular employees, however, will still be stuck with a lesser (and far cheaper) playing surface.
The various sacrifices involuntarily made by the players and other team employees should prompt FIFA to give them all a phony, made-up award. Especially since FIFA has already done that, for far less.
Houston does not have a problem with one of its best defensive players.
The Texans and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. have agreed to a three-year contract extension on Friday, according to multiple reports.
The initial numbers indicate Anderson’s deal is worth $150 million with $134 million guaranteed, which would make him the highest-paid non-QB in league history. The new contract also includes a no-trade clause.
Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2023 draft, was already under contract with the Texans through 2027 after the club picked up his fifth-year option.
The 2023 AP defensive rookie of the year, Anderson is a two-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro for the first time in 2025. He also finished No. 2 in AP defensive player of the year voting last season after tallying 12.0 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 23 quarterback hits in 17 games.
In his 46 career appearances with 44 starts, Anderson has racked up 30.0 sacks, 46 TFLs, and 64 QB hits.
With Anderson’s deal done, the Texans can focus on a long-term deal with their No. 2 overall pick in the same draft, quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
The Texans played in Reliant Stadium for 12 years and in NRG Stadium for 12 years. Their 25th season will see the building’s name revert to the original name.
The Houston Chronicle reports that the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation approved the name change on Wednesday, and the stadium again will become Reliant Stadium in August.
Reliant Energy, which is based in Houston, bought the 30-year naming rights for the stadium and surrounding buildings for $300 million in 2002. NRG Energy purchased Reliant’s retail electricity business in 2009 and opted to change the name of the stadium in 2014.
NRG pointed to a recent survey that showed 90 percent of their Houston-based customers supported the return of the stadium’s original name.
“It’s the brand that they connect with, that they do business with, that they trust to deliver their power and that we have relationships with, so we’re excited to bring it back,” NRG Consumer president Brad Bentley told the newspaper. “We think we’ll have a lot of good momentum and excitement among our customers.”
