The NFL Combine has officially arrived! NFL representatives from across the league will descend upon Lucas Oil Stadium for a week to determine if they're the prospects they've been studying for weeks, if not months, are actually worth the price of admission. 

For the Houston Texans, offensive line is one of the biggest points of emphasis heading into 2026, and this week will be the next step in addressing what's been a glaring issue for the last two seasons. There will be several premium level protectors present who will display their athletic acumen for coaches and executives throughout the session.

Having said that, there are two names in particular that the general manager Nick Caserio may have his gaze fixed upon: Emmanuel Pregnon and Keylon Rutledge. 

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds, Oregon Redshirt Senior  guard Emmanuel Pregnon took his talents from the USC Trojans to the Ducks in 2025, finishing as the best guard in the nation according to PFF College.

According to Bjorn Bergstrom of DucksWire,

"Pregnon led all Power 4 guards in college football in 2025 with an 86.7 grade, coming in just ahead of Cincinnati's Evan Tengesdahl and Iowa's Beau Stephens and Kade Pieper."  

Bergstrom then went into more detail about Pregnon's on-field impact by stating,

"From Day 1, Pregnon proved to be as reliable of a pass blocker as it gets while opening up gaping holes in the run game, contributing to Oregon finishing 20th in rushing offense last season. The Ducks averaged 5.4 yards per carry and had one of the top marks of yards gained before contact, a direct reflection of the standout efforts along the offensive line."

Being projected to go in the second round, the Texans could skip the line and snag Pregnon with their 28th overall selection. In doing so, they could further fortify their interior offensive line and provide quarterback C.J. Stroud with the kind of protection he hasn't had since his NFL debut in 2023. 

Checking in at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Georgia Tech Senior guard Keylan Rutledge finished as one of the top interior offensive lineman in the nation, and followed that up by being one of the stars of the Senior Bowl. 

Jackson Caudell of SI.com recounted the assessment of Rutledge's Senior Bowl according to ESPN's Jordan Reid, Field Yates, and Matt Miller, 

"After playing guard exclusively during his career at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Rutledge took snaps at center throughout practice Tuesday. Rutledge showed comfort with snapping the ball and demonstrated that he can play any spot along the interior, answering one of the biggest questions scouts had about him entering the Senior Bowl."

According to Pro Football Focus, Rutledge is ranked as one of the top-10 guards in the entire nation in overall blocking (fifth), run blocking (sixth) and pass blocking (10th). 

Helping to engineer an offensive line performance that saw the Yellow Jackets finish as fourth-best in the nation in sack prevention (nine in 12 games), Rutledge is seen as a premium prospect to be targeted by any team in need of a culture changer on the offensive side of the ball. 

Which lineman do you think the Texans will end up drafting? Let us know in the comment section below and by mentioning us via X at @Texans_RTB and via TikTok at @Texans.Roundable.