Commanders Have ‘Interest In’ Draft DT Amid Trade Scenario

They spent most of free agency beefing up their defensive front seven, and the Washington Commanders can continue the process in the 2026 NFL draft, thanks to being “interested in” the “most physically dominant” prospect in this class. A player set for a top-30 visit with the Commanders, but somebody general manager Adam Peters will likely have to trade to acquire in Round 1.

A trade scenario is outlined by ESPN’s John Keim. He revealed Ohio State nose tackle Kayden McDonald is “Another guy Washington likes/has interest in. 7 is too high; 71 is too low. Could trade back and acquire more picks or land in a spot where it’s more of a possibility.”

Giving up the seventh-overall selection to stockpile more picks and better position themselves to take McDonald has merit for the Commanders. Not least because the mammoth interior lineman is a natural fit for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones’ system.

Jones has been given better pass-rushers since the veteran market opened, but what’s missing is a big man in the middle to anchor a three-man front and shore up one of the league’s softest run defenses.

Those needs explain why McDonald is set to visit Northwest Stadium as part of his pre-draft tour.

Kayden McDonald Drawing a Pre-Draft Crowd

McDonald’s niche skills as a powerful disruptor over the ball aren’t lost on the majority of NFL teams. Not when the 21-year-old told Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated about “formal interviews” and “Zoom meetings” during the annual Scouting Combine “with the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, and a few others.”

Visits are the next part of the process, and McDonald says he has “one with the Bengals, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Washington Commanders, Ravens, Bears. Every team that needs a physical defensive tackle has been in touch with me.”

The Commanders will also have a healthy contingent watching McDonald at the Buckeyes’ pro day on Wednesday, March 25. When “GM Adam Peters, Asst GM Lance Newmark, HC Dan Quinn, OC David Blough, and DC Daronte Jones will all be in attendance,” according to “Commanding The Huddle” host Ryan Fowler.

There’s quite a queue forming for a throwback zero-technique who can control the pile, hold double teams and reset the line of scrimmage in the running game. The Commanders have every incentive to force their way to the front of the pack, and not just because they allowed a gaudy 4.8 yards per carry in 2025.

Improving that number is possible if Jones follows the same brand of defense he learned from star play-caller Brian Flores with the Vikings. It’s a scheme designed around a sophisticated mix of elaborate blitzing and disguised coverage, but the base defense is primarily a 3-4 front.

That represents a change of sorts for the Commanders from what head coach Dan Quinn called during the back end of last season. Fortunately, Peters has loaded up on 3-4 types in free agency, but he’s yet to improve the talent at arguably the most important position along the front seven.

Commanders Missing Focal Point Up Front

A 3-4 front only functions effectively if its nose guard dominates, but the Commanders don’t have an elite player at the position. That deficiency motivated the decision to reunite with a $25 million run-stopper, but there’s still room for more talent.

McDonald is more of a double- and triple-team magnet than holdover veterans Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne. The latter is also a free agent in 2027, while Kinlaw failed to justify the bumper deal he got from Peters last offseason.

Meanwhile, fellow defensive tackle Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton is more pass-rusher than formidable run-stopper. He’s also had a tough time reaching his full potential as a top-40 draft pick.

There’s nobody who can do the things McDonald does so well. Specifically, how he takes an unselfish approach to performing the dirty work so others can make the splash plays.

McDonald explained as much to Melo by admitting, “I welcome those double teams so I can free up our linebackers. I love making everybody around me better. That’s what shows up on film. Arvell [Reese] and Sonny [Styles] would tell you the same thing. I controlled the middle and I loved watching my teammates fly around and make plays.”

This is just what the Commanders need to help $100 million pass-rusher Odafe Oweh, former Patriots edge K’Lavon Chaisson and ex-Kansas City Chiefs duo, versatile defensive end Charles Omenihu and blitzing linebacker Leo Chenal.

Finding a way to take McDonald off the board would complete the defensive transformation the Commanders needed long before Jones assumed control of the playbook.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko