Houston Texans pick Kayden McDonald cries a veritable ocean of tears at 2026 NFL Draft

Hot Mic LIVE 4/24/26

Kayden McDonald thought he was going to be picked by somebody in the first round of the NFL Draft. But when that didn't happen, he and his family had to decide whether to stay in the so-called green room for the second round or get out of the view of cameras.

McDonald returned to the green room Friday and, judging by what happened when he was picked by the Houston Texans, it was everything for the young man.

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The moment his name was called, McDonald began to weep.

Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald participates in the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

We're talking a stream of tears as he hugged his family. And more tears as he walked to the stage. And even more as he embraced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

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But that wasn't all. McDonald could not turn off the faucet in his eyes as he spoke with ESPN stage reporter Laura Rutledge.

It was a veritable ocean of tears.

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And pure joy.

"It's emotional, man," McDonald said during the moving moment. "I know I'm supposed to be here. I'm just so blessed. I'm just so thankful. I'm just so emotional, like, where I came from. It's a blessing."

McDonald is from Suwanee, Georgia, and his neighborhood wasn’t what most would consider rough or impoverished — not affluent, either, but far from it.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell strides to the podium during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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