Houston Texans: Offensive tackle remains a position of need

The Houston Texans will have several needs to address on both sides of the ball in the offseason.

The Houston Texans have continued to bolster the offensive line, and the offensive tackle position will be a point of emphasis moving into the offseason. Quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked an NFL season-high 62  times in the regular season; he was sacked at least once in15 of the 16 games he started in the regular season. The only games the offensive line had a shutout was in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins.

Watson’s ability to escape when the pocket collapsed kept him from getting brought down in the backfield more than once and allowed the Texans to stay alive in drives. However, his tendency to drop his eyes to the pass rush and run of the pocket prematurely also put himself in harm’s way. Watson’s ability to scramble is a double-edged sword as his athleticism makes is an asset in making plays, but his tendency to hold onto the football instead of throwing it away also led to unnecessary sacks.

The Texans will have Julien Davenport, Roderick Johnson, and Seantrel Henderson returning next season to compete for playing time at offensive tackle but the coaching staff and front office will continue to work together to look for help outside the organization to improve their opportunities moving forward. David Steinmetz and Rick Leonard were also signed to future reserve contracts and are expected to provide competition at offensive tackle.

The right tackle position will be up for grabs with Kendall Lamm becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason and Texans electing to move Martinas Rankin from tackle to guard towards the end of the regular season.

Texans have four draft picks in the first three rounds to address the need at offensive tackle. Besides having their first, second, and third-round draft selections, the Texans will have an additional second rounder due to the trade that sent Duane Brown to the Seattle Seahawks.