As Ohio State star Kayden McDonald prepares to visit Bears, he says, 'I'm their No. 1 guy'
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald never lets up, and as he ripped through tackling dummies and blasted into blocking sleds at Ohio State’s pro day Wednesday, his screams echoed through the fieldhouse as representatives from every NFL team, including a dozen head coaches and general managers, watched nearby.
McDonald is a true monster in the middle and grew into a first-round prospect for the upcoming draft, where the Bears have their eyes on him at No. 25. He’s everything they’ve been missing since the days of Akiem Hicks.
“I’m just a powerful player,” McDonald told the Sun-Times. “You know what you’re going to get out of me. I’m the strongest guy on the defense and I’m a natural. Football comes easy for me.”
He’s widely projected to go late in the first round, and the Bears have shown significant interest. While general manager Ryan Poles was at Alabama pro day on Wednesday, likely with some interest in offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, the team had a scout tracking McDonald at Ohio State.
McDonald said his first pre-draft visit will be a trip to Halas Hall on April 1 and has gotten a strong impression that he stands atop the Bears’ draft board if he’s still around at No. 25.
“They’ve talked to me a lot,” he said. “I’m their No. 1 guy. That’s what I feel like. They seem very excited to get me up there.
“They say they like how I play and they like my motor. I play all four quarters and I’m relentless.”
He has some work to do on countermoves in the pass rush and gets overly aggressive at times, perhaps veering from his assignment in order to try for a big play, but there’s little doubt about the impact and presence he brings to the line of scrimmage.
McDonald got attention as a backup to first-round pick Tyleik Williams during Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season, then carried that momentum into a starting role last season. He had 65 tackles, including nine for loss, forced two fumbles and was voted an All-American.
He’s one of five Buckeyes likely to go in the first round next month, joining pass rusher Arvell Reese, safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Sonny Styles and wide receiver Carnell Tate. If that happens, the program will have produced 15 first-round picks in last five drafts.
Playing under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the former Lions head coach and Patriots coordinator, McDonald frequently played over the center and constantly was “just knocking people back,” as coach Ryan Day put it. He was a force against the run and as a pass rusher and had three sacks last season.
The Bears badly need that type of disruption in the middle of their defensive line, which has been a persistent problem for Poles throughout his tenure.
After pouring major resources into the unit, including a second-round pick to draft Gervon Dexter and a big contract for veteran Grady Jarrett, they allowed the sixth-most yards rushing in the NFL last season. They also were tied for the seventh-fewest sacks.
The Bears have been bottom-five in the league in run defense and sacks since Poles took over in 2022.
With Dexter going into the final season of his contract and the Bears holding a manageable out on Jarrett’s deal after this season, reloading on the defensive line would make sense. They drafted defensive lineman Shemar Turner in the second round last year, and he’s likely to play defensive end once he’s back from a torn ACL.
It’s nearly impossible to be a strong defense without difference makers up front, and the last two Super Bowl winners, the Eagles and Seahawks, won with waves of talented defensive linemen. The Bears have some catching up to do in that area, and an explosive player like McDonald could move them closer to that level.