Run-Stopping Machine the Latest Pick for Vikings in PFF Mock
The Minnesota Vikings may need an extra defensive tackle in the pipeline soon, as incumbent DTs Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen are getting up there in age. Thankfully, Pro Football Focus has just the suggestion: Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald.
McDonald projects as a plug-and-play run defender, giving the Vikings a realistic DT option early in April’s draft.
McDonald should be available to the Vikings at pick No. 18, and according to Dalton Wasserman, he’s just what the doctor ordered in Minnesota to stop the run.
Why McDonald Might Match Minnesota’s Draft Board
It’s another change of pace in a Vikings mock draft.
PFF: McDonald to Vikings at No. 18
The Vikings don’t have a Top 10 pick anymore after finishing the season 5-0. The club started the 2025 campaign with a 4-8 record, trending toward a blue-chip draft spot.
But Minnesota can still draft a promising rookie at No. 18, and Wasserman connected McDonald to Minnesota accordingly. He explained this week, ‘Minnesota features several veteran interior pass rushers, but Jalen Redmond was the only defensive tackle on the roster to post at least a 60.0 run-defense grade this season.”
“Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald would provide immediate value on early downs after leading all interior defenders in run-defense grade (91.2) and run stops (30) this year.”
In Wasserman’s mock, Minnesota notably passes on Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.
McDonald’s Scouting Report
McDonald is 6’3″ and 326 pounds, pretty damn close to textbook nose tackle size. He’s known for eating space on the defensive line, his anchor, and nimble nature for a man of his size.
NFL Draft Buzz on McDonald: “McDonald has that rare ability to completely erase an offense’s interior running game – the kind of immovable force that makes offensive coordinators abandon their game plan by the second quarter. Watch him against Washington and you’ll see a man playing like he’s got roots growing into the turf, absorbing double teams while barely giving ground.”
“There’s something beautiful about watching him cave in the A-gaps and leave running backs with nowhere to go but sideways into pursuit. His film shows a defender who doesn’t just occupy blockers — he dominates them, controls them, and discards them when he’s ready to make the tackle.”
At the moment, the Vikings don’t utilize a true nose tackle and haven’t for years.
NBD added, “The modern NFL might be obsessed with pass rushers, but teams that win in January understand you need someone who can shut down the run when everyone in the stadium knows it’s coming. McDonald brings that old-school mentality wrapped in new-school athleticism. He’s the guy who makes those critical third-and-short stops that don’t show up on highlight reels but swing playoff games.”
“While his pass rush needs refinement, his ability to push the pocket backward from the nose creates the kind of interior pressure that makes edge rushers look like superstars.”
Bleacher Report‘s Matt Holder claims McDonald has “shades of Vince Wilfork” and noted, “McDonald plays with his hands down, allowing offensive linemen to get into his chest, thus preventing him from getting extension on blocks. However, he did show growth in this area down the stretch of last season.”
The Vikings’ Nose Tackle Drought
A man named Linval Joseph played nose tackle for the Vikings from 2014 to 2019. He’s the last one with staying power. Since his free-agent departure, Minnesota has employed these men at NT:
- Sheldon Day
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Michael Pierce
- Harrison Phillips
- Shamar Stephen
- Dalvin Tomlinson
- Khyiris Tonga
Pierce, Phillips, and Tomlinson played well, but they didn’t last long, or in Phillips’s case, left prematurely and wasn’t a true nose tackle.
It’s time for Minnesota to restart the Linval era. McDonald could handle the assignment.
Rare for an NT to Be This High on Draftboard
It’s also worth noting that McDonald must be a gem. Why? Well, nose tackles — basically humongous defensive tackles — don’t typically tip the scales as Round 1 draft picks. NTs can normally be found after Round 1.
Notable nose tackles found after Round 1 in the last several years include DaVon Hamilton (JAX), Raekwon Davis (MIA), Gervon Dexter (CHI), T’Vondre Sweat (TEN), and Deone Walker (BUF). Of course, exceptions exist, like Dexter Lawrence, a Round 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. But generally speaking, general managers prefer pass-rushing DTs in Round 1.
McDonald is young, too. He won’t turn 21 until March.
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