Houston Texans fans are still buzzing over the team’s haul of collegiate prospects after the 2026 NFL Draft. Former Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge in particular is still one of the main topics of discussion, as his immediate place on the team has become the central focus of much fan discourse.
The debates have been focused on how Rutledge projects to fit on the latest iteration on the offensive line, considering All-Pro guard Wyatt Teller and re-signed guard Ed Ingram both play the same position as he does.
In a previous article, Toro Times suggested that due to Rutledge’s versatility in being able to play all three of the interior offensive line positions, he could potentially challenge incumbent starting center Jake Andrews for the role heading into the regular season. Then, even if he were to beat out Andrews in short order, there’s still the wondering about how high of a ceiling Rutledge would have long-term for the organization.
Except, his former head coach in Brent Key has now thrown his hat into the ring and given an emphatic statement on Rutledge’s explosive potential in the NFL. In an interview with KPRC 2 Texans Insider Aaron Wilson, Key exclaimed,
“I think he, depending on how it works out at center there, whether it’s this year, next year, when he makes a move to center, Red (Rutledge) is gonna be an All-Pro center in the league. I strongly, strongly believe that.”
If any of what Key excitedly expressed pans out, the Texans could potentially have their best center, and offensive line in general, in over a decade.
Texans could have their best center since 2012 in Keylan Rutledge
Legendary Texans center Chris Myers is recognized as the greatest at the position in franchise history. Across 10 seasons, Myers played in 153 regular season games (128 starts), which included an eight-year streak of playing all 16 games (2007-2014).
He became a two-time Pro Bowler with Houston, doing so in back-to-back seasons from 2011-2012. Along with All-Pro left tackle Duane Brown, Pro Bowl left guard Wade Smith, right guard Ben Jones and right tackle Derek Newton, Myers’ contributions helped to make the 2012 Texans offensive line unit the greatest in franchise history.
If Rutledge truly wants to achieve anything close to the level of prestige that Myers has achieved, he’ll have to perform extremely well for an extended period of time. If he wants to be the All-Pro that his former head coach thinks he can be, he’ll have to go above and beyond that. And if that monumental feat were to happen, he’d then be the most accomplished at the position in team history. That makes for pretty lofty expectations right out of the gate.
What helps Rutledge at the moment is the fact that he’s already a scheme and culture fit for the team, while also being regarded as one of the most intense and gritty prospects in the entire draft. Multiple teams were seemingly in on Rutledge, which made the Texans moving up to grab him look like an absolute necessity.
Rutledge facing stiff competition amongst league's best
At the time of writing, Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey and Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer are the latest AP All-Pro centers in the NFL (Humphrey: First-Team, Brewer: Second-Team). Then you have Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum who owns the largest contract ever given out for a center at $27 million APY (three-years, $81 million).
In short, Rutledge has pretty stiff competition if he wants to be regarded as one of the two best centers in the game. However, he has the full backing of Georgia Tech and the Texans as he begins to make that climb towards the top.
Add us as a preferred source on Google