The Houston Texans revamped their entire offensive line this offseason, going for more physicality and grit over finesse and speed.
After trading away longtime starter Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns, Houston picked up former Cleveland All-Pro guard Wyatt Teller to take over at left guard. The Texans also turned former enemy Braden Smith of the Indianapolis Colts into a friend and the future right tackle.
If that wasn’t enough, Houston extended its best run blocker, Ed Ingram, on a three-year deal. Come draft weekend, the Texans used a first-round pick on Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge, a multi-purpose lineman with upside in pass protection, along with Oklahoma’s Febechi Nwaiwu on Day 3.
So, how much more improved is Houston’s trench play?
According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Texans are still among the worst lines in the 2026 preseason positional unit rankings, coming in at No. 31 overall. The only team worse? The Browns, who, much like Houston, used ample capital to shift up the offensive grouping to better play around Pro Bowler C.J. Stroud.
“It’s going to be tough for C.J. Stroud to make the necessary strides playing behind this offensive line,” Sharp Analysis wrote. “Houston added rookie Keylan Rutledge and veterans Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith, who have missed a combined 17 games over the last two seasons, in hopes of turning things around quickly.”
The one point that could deflate Houston’s chances of seeing drastic offensive improvements is the injuries. Teller and Smith haven’t played a full season since at least 2024, with the latter not playing a full season since 2022. Rutledge, a former All-ACC guard, could be a center in the pros, but he’s still learning the postion.
Houston, which won 12 games last season and has made the divisional round postseason three straight years, doesn’t have time to waste with a retooled offensive line. They plan on being competitive from the jump and need to see improvements in pass protection, but more than anything, run blocking.
All five offensive linemen have graded out highly for their ability to hold a block in the run game. The hope should be for Houston to establish a solid ground-and-pound game with newcomer David Montgomery, thus taking pressure off of Stroud as he continues to expand his ceiling under second-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
To read the full list and see which team has the best offensive line, click here.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Where does Houston Texans’ new offensive line rank among all 32 NFL teams?
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
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By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
