Despite significant free agency additions, the Texans continue prioritizing offensive line upgrades. Expect the draft to deliver more talent to solidify protection.
The Houston Texans entered the 2026 offseason with the obvious goal of improving the offensive line. Houston was near the bottom of the league in win rate in both pass protection and run blocking, and that had to be fixed for the franchise to get more out of the offensive side of the ball. The defense was elite in 2025, and it was the type of defense that could win a Super Bowl, but the offense needs to perform better moving forward.
Throughout the 2026 offseason, it has been speculated that the Texans will be addressing the offensive line heavily through the 2026 NFL Draft. That thought remains, even though the Texans have already spent a good amount on the offensive line in free agency. The organization re-signed Trent Brown while also inking Ed Ingram to an extension, two-year deals were signed with both Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller through free agency
Teller and Smith are fantastic additions, and Aireontae Erstery is expected to continue to progress at left tackle, and the same could be said for Ingram at guard. Despite these financial investments from the franchise, D.J. Bien-Aime of ESPN believes the offensive line is a weakness that will be addressed through the draft, "The Texans plan to keep improving the offensive line through the draft. They have four picks in the first three rounds, so expect them to add young talent there. This is still the priority after Houston finished the 2025 season ranked 30th in pass block win rate (55.5%) and last in run block win rate (68.4%). Howard was their best lineman who could play multiple spots last season, so until the Texans replace him, they shouldn't be content."
The Texans will likely be able to start Erstery at left tackle, Teller at left guard, Ingram at right guard, and Smith at right tackle. That is a decent unit, assuming Erstery and Ingram continue to improve. Brown is also available for depth at either tackle spot, or as a sixth offensive lineman in certain run packages.
The biggest question mark is center Jake Andrews, who has been with the team for one season. Houston has six picks in the top 140 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and fans should expect at least one of those to be used on a center and an additional interior offensive lineman. This would provide depth and competition during training camp ahead of the 2026 season.