This time last season, few people knew of Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai , the once-talented Ohio State lineman who began his tenure on the practice squad.
Fast forward six months and Togiai had become a fan favorite and standout at defensive tackle for the league's No. 1 defense opposite Sheldon Rankins .
But with the arrival of a newcomer on the defensive line, will Togiai role be diminished back to only a rotational option?
ESPN's Ben Solak recently wrote that while Togiai, who recorded a scoop-and-score on the final play of the regular season, should enter training camp as the No. 2 defensive tackle, the arrival of a fellow Buckeye via the draft might shift him back down the line and into the "first guy off the bench."
"Togiai was a spark for the Texans ' defense in 2025. He earned his spot in the rotation over Tim Settle and Mario Edwards Jr., and when both were lost for the season (foot and pectoral injuries, respectively), he took on an increased workload with aplomb," Solak wrote. "NFL Next Gen Stats had Togiai's 9.7% stop rate -- that's a tackle which ends in negative EPA for the opposing offense -- as the highest among all defensive tackles last season. He was valuable, and I'm confident the Texans felt OK entering next season with Togiai and Sheldon Rankins as their starters, with perhaps a Round 3 or 4 rookie fighting for snaps behind them."
Enter Kayden McDonald, the Ohio State defensive tackle and top-ranked prospect in Round 2. Houston made sure to leave the draft with the star defender as a foundational piece for DeMeco Ryans ' defense entering 2026 and a retool of the future, espcially since he's still growing into his role as a pass-rushing specialist.
"Togiai was so good last year that McDonald might end up biting more into Rankins' snaps than Togiai's reps," Solak wrote. "But Togiai spent far more time lined up between the guards than Rankins did, and those snaps figure to go to McDonald, a premier run defender who will strengthen the spine of the Texans' already ferocious defense. Togiai could in turn take some of Rankins' snaps at 3-technique, but it isn't guaranteed that he continues his shocking splash play from last season. Ideally, this is a rotation of three quality players, each with slightly different skill sets."
The 6-foot-2, 326-pound defensive tackle was considered by many to be a lock for the first round. Since he fell into Day 2, it became clear that Houston would be back on the market. Last season, as the anchor of the No. 1 run defense in the Big Ten, he totaled 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his final season at Ohio State.
McDoanld makes his first appearance in a Texans' uniform on Friday for the start of rookie minicamp.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: ESPN could see a decreased role for DL Tommy Togiai in 2026
