Exciting rookies Keylan Rutledge and Kayden McDonald are poised to make immediate impacts, potentially starting from Week 1, bolstering the Texans' trenches.
The Houston Texans had some clear holes to address near the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, and those holes were both in the trenches. The interior of the offensive and defensive lines needed help, and the organization brought in reinforcements by addressing both spots with its first two selections. Houston drafted guard Keylan Rutledge in the first round, while Kayden McDonald became a Texan in the second round.
This should be considered a good haul for the Texans. The franchise addressed needs while also acquiring good value. McDonald was seen by some as a first-round pick, and he was mocked to the Texans heavily with the 28th overall pick. Rutledge is also a decent guard who could have a chance to start during his rookie season.
DJ Bien-Aime, a Texans beat-writer for ESPN, recently spoke about the team's first two picks in an article for the sports outlet. He wrote about their path to being starters and what that timeline could look like, "Houston's first- and second-round picks have mostly started in Week 1 in recent years. Since 2023, Houston has drafted tackles Blake Fisher and Aireontae Ersery, along with guard Juice Scruggs, wideout Jayden Higgins, quarterback C.J. Stroud, defensive end Will Anderson and cornerback Kamari Lassiter. Over that span, only Fisher and Scruggs weren't immediate starters, largely because Scruggs was injured and Fisher was behind two tackles on high-priced contracts at the time. So it shouldn't take long before Rutledge, a guard, and McDonald, a defensive tackle, earn starting roles."
According to Bien-Aime, both of these rookies should be able to crack the starting lineup early on. Nothing is worse as an NFL fan than seeing your team keep exciting rookies off the field. It is beyond frustrating, especially if the team struggles. Houston has always gotten their younger players on the field early in their careers.
Rutledge probably has the easier path to being a starter out of the top two rookies. There is a clear spot for him to start at left guard, with Evan Brown probably being the biggest competition for the starting job. McDonald will have Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai ahead of him on the initial depth chart, but he should begin to rotate onto the field more and more as the season goes on. He knows how to make plays and keep things in front of him, and he should be able to add to the defense almost immediately.
When do you think these two will become starters?