Is Texans guard Kenyon Green on verge of breakout year?

While one Houston Texans 2022 first-round pick took a significant step forward last season, another was sidelined during the team's improbable AFC South title run.

Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and offensive guard Kenyon Green were selected third and 15th overall, respectively, in 2022, with both pairing moments of promise with injuries and inconsistency as rookies. Stingley bounced back in a big way last year, recording five interceptions in 11 games and  overcoming an early injury to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for December and January. Green wasn't afforded the chance to make an impact in his second year, going on injured reserve just before Week 1 with a left shoulder injury that ended his season before it started.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio seems confident in what he's seen from the Texas A&M product and former Humble Atascocita star this offseason, noting that a "change of scenery" and adjustment to his training regimen has proven beneficial.

"He went up to Oregon and worked with a group for about four to five weeks, so it was just kind of a different stimulus, kind of a different training," Caserio told SportsRadio 610's Payne and Pendergast earlier this month. "I think [five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman] Ndamukong Suh works with a number of players up in Oregon, so he went up there for a few weeks. Sometimes, players honestly just need a change of scenery. Just something different, and it worked for him.

"He came back, he's in a good head space, and frame of mind is important. Credit to him, credit to the work he's put in. The true test will come in training camp, but he's positioned himself to have an opportunity to compete for the left guard spot. And if he plays well enough, he'll play. If he doesn't, it'll be somebody else. Not to make it black or white, but that's the reality of what happens in this league."

Caserio also noted that this is "really [Green's] first opportunity to have a full offseason of training." The left guard dealt with a knee injury in the lead-up to his rookie campaign, and he had arthroscopic knee surgery early the following offseason. He eventually worked his way back and participated in training camp, before suffering a shoulder injury in the Texans' final preseason game.

Green—who is now healthy and appeared leaner during offseason workouts—should be one of the top contenders for the starting left guard spot heading into 2024.

"He worked really hard," Caserio said. "Kind of changed something up relative to his training, some things that worked for him, so he's put himself in a good position to compete for a spot."