Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) takes the field for the NCAA football game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills Insider Pounds Table for 'Powerful, Physical' Nose Tackle in Upcoming NFL Draft

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Alex Brasky | Last updated Mar 26, 2026 8:33 PM ET

One of the Buffalo Bills’ top needs entering the 2026 NFL Draft is the nose tackle position.

A Bills insider believes he has the answer.

Buffalo plans to transition to an odd-man front under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and must bring in the players that will make the change as smooth as possible. Joe Marino of Locked on Bills is pounding the table for Buffalo to “sprint to the podium” to select Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald at pick No. 26 of the first round.

“My goodness, he’s big,” said Marino of the Buckeyes’ DT. “He’s powerful. He’s physical. He’s got a stout anchor, and you’re not gonna move him with a single block, I’ll tell ya that.”

That should be music to the Bills’ ears, as they struggled mightily on the defensive interior during the 2025 campaign, particularly against the run. Buffalo allowed its opponents to average the third-highest yards per attempt [5.1] in the league a year ago.

More on McDonald

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Marino continued to laud McDonald’s “ability to really squeeze down gaps and leverage,” something the Bills lacked in the trenches a year ago.

“And just make lanes disappear when defending the run,” continued Marino.

The Bills attended McDonald’s Pro Day at Ohio State on Wednesday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, which could hint at the team’s interest in the 2025 Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. During a breakout year, McDonald finished with 65 tackles, three sacks and nine tackles for loss to lead the Buckeyes’ front, which was seventh in the nation, allowing 89.3 yards rushing per game a season ago.

Birds-eye view

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 21-year-old stands 6-foot-3, weighing 326 pounds and is a formidable force at the point of attack. If the Bills were to bring him in with their first-round selection, he would join veteran Ed Oliver and 2025 fourth-round pick Deone Walker as the team’s top defensive tackles.

Buffalo also has Tommy Akingbesote, DeWayne Carter, Zion Logue, Phidarian Mathis and 2025 second-round pick T.J. Sanders on the roster. However, none of those names strike fear in opponents’ hearts like McDonald is projected to at the next level.

He is renowned as a ferocious, relentless defender who could step in and help transform the Bills’ defense. Along with a scheme adjustment, it would be nice to have a centerpiece to go with the Bills’ defensive transformation, and McDonald would be just that.

Defensive tackle isn’t the most sexy position to pursue with a team’s first-round pick, especially when a team like the Bills needs a wide receiver as badly as they do. But if the Bills were to select McDonald, fans could rest easy knowing one of the team’s weaknesses had been strengthened through an impressive rookie entering the fold.

This article first appeared on Buffalo Bills on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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