Finding the right big man in the middle became more important for the Washington Commanders once they hired Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator.
Jones is well-versed in the 3-4 pressure-style schemes of top-tier play-callers Brian Flores and Vance Joseph, so he's likely to want a dominant nose tackle. Just like the one headlining the position in the 2026 NFL Draft, who's also a perfect partner for incumbent Daron Payne.
Payne has struggled to regain the form that earned him a Pro Bowl selection in 2022. A big part of his problem has been not having the right complement next to him, particularly since Jonathan Allen was cut loose a year ago.
The former Alabama star needs to play alongside a space-eating, double-team magnet who can control the heart of the line of scrimmage. Now's the time to get one of those, especially when Payne's $27.95 million salary cap hit remains a burden the Commanders can still shed.
Commanders could draft a tone-setting trench warrior in Kayden McDonald
Enter a 6-foot-2, 326-pound "rugged dude" Commanders general manager Adam Peters can't ignore in this draft.
Defensive linemen in the systems Jones has been used to are often tasked more with stopping the run than rushing the passer. That's potentially bad news for Payne and possible breakout candidate Johnny Newton, but the switch in priorities up front makes Kayden McDonald the perfect draft target for the Commanders.
Former longtime Green Bay Press-Gazette writer Bob McGinn received an apt endorsement of McDonald's game when he spoke to a scout about the Ohio State behemoth. The scout's vivid description appeared in McGinn's article for Tyler Dunne's Go Long newsletter.
"Just a tough ass, rugged dude. He shows snatch and power. The run game, he just crushes it. He’s not your true (pass rusher). Not going to give you a lot of sacks but he’s good enough there. He can make a mess in there and push the pocket. He’s bottom of the first and will start."
Messing things up so others can make the splash plays is the work of a true nose tackle. It's something Payne would appreciate as he'd have more opportunities to beat one-on-one blocking and collapse the pocket with McDonald holding a crowd.
Doing the dirty work against the run has never been Payne's strength, but it is an area where McDonald excels. Proved by this interesting pro comparison from Todd McShay of The Ringer.
"McDonald is a day-one starter with Pro Bowl potential, and Kenny Clark is an interesting comp. Their frames are different, but both get off blocks and make plays despite having short arms. Clark had 75 tackles and 11 TFL in his final year at UCLA."
McDonald wasn't quite as productive during his goodbye campaign with the Buckeyes. The 21-year-old still made nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Truthfully, the Commanders taking the interior force wouldn't be about numbers. It would be more about finally making a serious commitment to fortifying what's been a longstanding frailty.
Doing things on the cheap hasn't fixed the Commanders' core defensive problem: an ongoing inability to stop the run.
Things didn't improve on the ground when Peters handed a short-term, cost-effective deal to Eddie Goldman last season. Nor will a run defense that yielded a gaudy 4.8 yards per carry in 2025 get any better after the arrivals of Shy Tuttle and D.J. Davidson this offseason.
Bringing Tim Settle Jr. back to Washington was a start, but the Commanders are still missing a natural anchor on the defensive line for the next decade.
Jones needs the front office to commit serious resources to the problem. It doesn't get more serious than using a premium draft pick to take powerful run-stuffer McDonald off the board. Whether that's by trading back into the first round or even defying the big board and mock drafts by making him the No. 7 overall pick.
That would raise the ire of many observers, but the Commanders can't underrate their need to get tougher against the run. The necessity starts in the NFC East, where Saquon Barkley, Javonte Williams, and Cam Skattebo can run riot.
More than standing up to the neighborhood bullies, the Commanders can revert to what was once a proud franchise tradition. Namely, putting big guys in the middle and making the front seven a no-go area for running backs.
Think back to the classic combination of Dave Butz and Darryl Grant. Or the perennially underrated duo of Tim Johnson and Eric Williams. How about Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave'a for a more idiosyncratic blast from the recent past?
It's been too long since the Commanders had a tackle tandem at the heart of their defensive line that opponents truly feared. Pairing Payne with McDonald would create a nightmare duo for Jones to build his bigger, more imposing fronts around.