Keylan Rutledge is going to look great in a Houston Texans uniform
The Texans didn’t sit by waiting for Rutledge to fall into their lap at pick No. 28. They knew he was destined to be a part of the long-term plan, which is why they traded up two spots to get him.
Once the run on offensive linemen began, Houston knew it needed to settle on its top pick. The name: Rutledge, a mauler in the trenches who excelled in run blocking during his lone season in Atlanta. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound lineman didn’t allow a sack in over 400 pass-blocking reps last season and has position flexibility, having tested at guard and center, helping the Yellow Jackets secure a 10-win season.
Here’s what the pick looked like when general manager Nick Caserio, head coach DeMeco Ryans and CEO Cal McNair made the call out to Georgia to land their hopeful Pro Bowl linemen in the making.
Nicknamed “Big Red” for his red mane, Rutledge was considered the top run blocker in the NFL draft after dominating at both Middle Tennessee State and Georgia Tech. He was also voted team captain at both Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech.
“Toughness, violence, physicality, playing style, his intelligence,” Caserio said. “I mean, basically, the guy wants to step on your throat on every play, which I would say sort of embodies what our football team is about, the way we play, intense, violent, physical. We’re going to run the football this year.”
The Texans own three picks on Friday night, including pick No. 91 acquired in the Bills trade to move up to No. 26.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: WATCH: Nick Caserio makes call to Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge as the newest draft pick
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
