After their loss in the divisional round of the playoffs against the New England Patriots, it was no secret that the Texans had to fix their offensive line. Heading into last season, the Texans departed from all-pro tackle Larmey Tunsil and other pieces and were not ready for life without him. Through out the course of the season, the Texans consistently struggled to run the ball having finished the season with 3.9 yards per carry, the fourth-lowest in the league.
Fortunately, the Texans attacked the offensive line head-on this offseason, handing out $44 million to free agents, trading away aging linemen, and using two picks, including the 26th overall pick, on a guard. There is no denying that general manager Nick Caserio put a great deal of effort into the offensive line, and it must pay off. The Texans' inability to run the ball greatly held them back last season, and if these moves don't work out, Houston may miss out on their contention window.
With that being said, let's take a look at the Houston Texans' offensive line:
A Blend of Youth and Experience at Tackle
Of the four tackles who dressed in the Texans' 2025 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, the only player who remains on the roster was last draft's second-round pick, Aireontae Ersery, who is the projected left tackle. In his rookie season, Ersery played left tackle in 15 of 16 games he appeared in. Similar to many rookie offensive tackles, Ersery struggled, giving up seven sacks in 16 games, the most on the team via PFF.
On the surface, it is much worse than it looks for Ersery, whose season should be broken up into two parts. Of his seven sacks, six came in his first 10 starts, and over the final six regular season games he played in, he only gave up one sack and none over the course of two playoff games. Early on, Ersery had bust written all over him but rewrote the narrative surrounding him during the back half of his rookie campaign.
Despite the strides later in the season, Ersery still needs to improve in the run game, and at 6'6" and 330 lbs, he should be able to move defenders but has a hard time doing so. Some improved technique, including better posture and an improved punch, should help improve his performance. He will also need to clean up the penalties after having 11 as a rookie.
To stabilize the right side of the offensive line, the Texans poached from their division rival, signing Indianapolis Colts tackle Braden Smith. Smith has spent the past eight seasons with the Colts and is coming off a season where he only gave up a single sack via PFF. Smith has over 4,000 snaps of experience and will help keep quarterback C.J. Stroud clean. Smith, who is 30 years old, just signed a two-year deal with the team and is exactly the kind of veteran they were hoping to sign.
Smith has also been a pivotal player in numerous top rushing attacks in his time with the Colts. Fortunately for the Texans, offensive coordinator Nick Caley runs a gap scheme in the ground game, the same type of rushing offense the Colts utilize. Even though Smith has been a great run blocker, last season was a down year, which could be potential regression on a very demanding position, which is something to keep an eye on as the season goes on.
Outside of their starters, the Texans still have their 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher, a young piece with 429 snaps. Along with Fisher, Trent Brown is returning to Houston on a one-year deal after playing in seven games last season. Both players are quality backups, especially Brown, who, at 33 years old, has likely already played his best football and can be one of the top swing tackles in the NFL.
Houston's tackle room is in a healthy spot but is missing a glaring piece. They do not have a lockdown tackle, which could come back to hurt them. When they had Tunsil, the Texans were able to depend on him to routinely win his one-on-one matchup, which allowed them to slide the protection to the right more often than not. This group should be able to keep Stroud and has a high floor but lacks what it takes to become a top duo in the league.
Houston Completely Rebuilt the Interior
On the inside of the offensive line, Houston will make use of a combination of some familiar faces but primarily new faces. The Texans are returning Jake Andrews, Evan Brown, Ed Ingram, and Jarret Patterson on their interior. To pair with that, they have also brought in Wyatt Teller from the Cleveland Browns and drafted Keylan Rutledge with their first-round pick. The hope is that the mixture of players will help revamp the Texans' run game on the interior offensive line.
Andrews, who started 16 games at center, is the only expected returning starter on the interior line. 2025 was his first season as a starter, and while not great, he did not look out of place. While anchoring the offensive line, he managed to only give up a single sack, and while a bit inconsistent, he did show flashes that he could make a positive impact there. Jarrett Patterson, the team's backup center and has made 21 starts over three seasons as a sixth-round pick.
At both guard spots, the Texans will have different faces than they did last year. While Ed Ingram is still under contract and had a productive season, he will take a back seat to all-pro guard Wyatt Teller, who came over on a two-year deal. Teller has been one of the best guards in the league over the past decade, and similar to Braden Smith, he has been a part of some of the best rushing offenses over that time period. Even though he has battled injuries and is getting older, Teller is an immediate upgrade in the run game and is still talented enough to help turn around Houston's run game.
At the other guard spot, it is quite the opposite, with 2026 first-round pick Keylan Rutledge likely to get the start at left guard. During his time with Georgia Tech, Rutledge displayed dominance in the run game, something the Texans lacked all of last season. On a regular basis, he was able to move defensive linemen, and even though there is room for improvement, he is not bad when it comes to climbing to the second level.
Unlike the other players in the room, Rutledge's weakness comes in pass protection. During his time in college, he played in an offense that greatly utilized quick games and passes, which did not ask much of their offensive linemen in the pass game. Due to this, his pass protection technique is subpar, and it may take him some time to fix his set and adjust at the professional level. Luckily for Houston, just last year offensive line coach Cole Popovich helped Ersery grow exponentially as a pass blocker in his rookie season.
The Houston Texans took the time and effort needed to address their offensive line. Caserio did not just overpay whatever player was available in free agency; he carefully signed, traded, and drafted players with a plan in mind. Now, we will have to wait until week one to see if the moves he made will pay off.
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