3 glaring needs the Houston Texans must address in the offseason

1. Offensive Line

No Texans' position group has been hampered by injuries this season more than the offensive line. Sophomore Kenyon Green suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason and promptly landed on Injury Reserve, effectively ending his year before it even began. His replacement, Kendrick Green, sustained a meniscus injury in October and is also out for the season, so is Tytus Howard, who suffered a knee injury in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12.

The silver lining is that 2023 second-round pick Juice Scruggs is back in the fold after starting the season on IR. But even before injuries depleted the unit, the offensive line was in need of upgrades. Kenyon Green wasn't particularly great as a rookie. He was expected to make strides in Year 2 but he'll need to wait until 2024 to show he can become a fixture up front.

Scruggs currently sits behind Michael Deiter on the depth chart, showing the team doesn't feel comfortable plugging him into the lineup just yet. The Texans should consider adding a veteran to compete with Green at left guard and another interior offensive lineman to develop. Shaq Mason is holding his own at right guard, but having a backup behind him would ensure the group doesn't miss a beat if the injury bug * knocks on wood * strikes again in 2024.

On the bright side, left tackle Laremy Tunsil is still playing at a high level, so replacing him shouldn't be the team's long-term plan. Similarly, veteran George Fant has performed well enough at right tackle to deserve consideration for a contract extension.

The bottom line is that the Texans did a good job of replenishing their skill-position groups. They should next turn their attention to upgrading the offensive trenches.