Houston eyes an AFC Championship breakthrough, targeting offensive line and running back talent with their crucial early draft picks.
The Houston Texans, as an organization, have one thing on its mind heading into the 2026 offseason, and that is getting over the hump that is the Divisional round of the postseason. The franchise has been extremely consistent and successful over the last three seasons, but the fan base wants to see the franchise advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time in its short history.
The Texans don't have any major players from the 2025 season set to hit free agency, so this offseason is about loading up through the draft and free agency. Major weaknesses must be addressed on the offensive side of the ball, specifically along the offensive line and at running back. Thankfully, those two weaknesses sort of go hand in hand, and a single fix can address both.
D.J. Bien-Aime, Houston's beat reporter for ESPN, recently contributed to a column discussing what each team in the NFL must do to fix its biggest weaknesses. He spoke about the Texans cap space and draft strategy, "The Texans aren't operating with a lot of cap space (rank 21st in 2026, per OverTheCap.com), so this year more than ever is about getting past the divisional round. They're 0-8 in those games, but at least they have draft capital to improve the roster with four picks in the top 69 picks. The offensive line and running back positions will be key spots to focus on, along with adding to the safety room. Every move will help a 12-5 roster that can't get over the hump."
Houston has some work to do in free agency, but the franchise is near the bottom of the NFL in cap space. This likely takes the team out of the running for the league's top free agents, but thankfully, Houston does have some favorable draft position.
Having four picks in the top 69 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft is huge. The franchise can address the offensive line and the running back position, and there are some good names available to Houston in both areas. If the organization wants to get past the Divisional round, finding rookies who address weaknesses and can contribute immediately will be key.
Fixing the offensive line should be priority number one. This will allow C.J. Stroud to feel comfortable in the pocket and hopefully return to his rookie form. An improved offensive line will also help the running game, regardless of who is carrying the football.