2019 NFL Draft Preview: Houston Texans Interior Offensive Lineman Situation

Looking at the Houston Texans’ depth at the interior offensive line ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Houston Texans currently have several players returning for 2019. Texans have Maurquice Shakir, Martinas Rankin, Zach Fulton, Senio Kelemete, Greg Mancz, and Nick Martin as interior lineman currently under contract for the 2019 season. Martin, Fulton, Kelemete, Mancz, and Rankin all saw action in the Texans offensive line in 2018.

Rankin is an interesting player to follow as the Texans decided to move him inside in the offensive line after experimenting with him as the starting left tackle early in the regular season. He started at left guard against the Philadelphia Eagles with Kelemete being ruled out late in their pre-game warm-ups.

Although the Texans could be looking to adding another guard to the fold with general manager Brian Gaine reported being a runner up in signing former Los Angeles Rams guard Rodger Saffold in free agency before he opted to sign with the Tennessee Titans.

All of the Texans players that started in the interior of the offensive line are under contract for multiple seasons with the exception of Martin, he will be entering the final year of his NFL rookie scale contract. Texans could be in the market for another center with Martin struggling with ankle injuries the first two seasons in the league, he has played in 30 of the 48 games since being drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

A guard or center would make sense in the middle to late rounds of the draft with offensive tackle and secondary being the primary concerns as Texans enter the first round of the draft this upcoming Thursday.