The Houston Texans saw real production from their offensive line last year, only allowing CJ Stroud to get sacked 38 times in 15 games. So what do they do after a good season just a few short months ago? They add to the position again. Through the draft, they added Blake Fisher and LaDarius Henderson. Now their starting five is set for the future as Tytus Howard, their former right tackle, likely moves inside to left guard.
How does it stack up around the league, though? Only a few teams can look at their offensive line, from left to right, and their depth, and view the position as highly as the Texans do. Let’s take a look at their depth chart.
- Laremy Tunsil
- Tytus Howard
- Juice Scruggs
- Shaq Mason
- Blake Fisher
- Charlie Heck
- Kendrick Green
- Kenyon Green
- Jarrett Patterson
- David Sharpe
- Nick Broeker
- Kilian Zierer
- LaDarius Henderson
- Dieter Eiselen
The Texans acquired Kendrick Green in a trade in 2023 and had 18 career starts since being drafted in 2021. The other Green, Kenyon, was drafted by the Texans in the first round of the 2022 draft and started 14 games in his rookie year. Kenyon spent last season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury but will provide the team with great depth as he gets back into the swing of things this season.
Other draft picks on the line, like former fourth-round pick Charlie Heck, has 21 career starts in four seasons. Juice Scruggs started six out of seven games in 2023 and will look to have a much larger role with the team going forward.
Overall, there’s a lot to like about this offensive line. They have a nice mix of veterans and rising stars, meaning their future is looking bright. This isn’t a team where you’re going to be worried about what the line will look like in 4-5 years because they have no depth there. This is a team where you’re looking forward to what the future will bring because they put assets towards the position.
Once they transition to life without veterans like Tunsil and Mason, they don’t have to worry about where they’ll turn to next. Kenyon Green and Charlie Heck will work out just fine down the road.
As Tunsil turns 30 years old before the season starts and is going into his ninth season, having his replacement ready and waiting isn’t such a bad thing. Tunsil has been a great staple to their offense since joining the team in 2019. However, as the team begins to transition to life with their younger players whom they view highly, Tunsil’s time may be ending in Houston before his new three-year deal is up.
For Mason, he turns 31 years old before the season begins, and signed a three-year deal in 2023. If they want to see what they have in Kenyon Green, they could move off of Mason before his contract expires in 2027 and save $9.5M in cap space, according to Spotrac.
Either way, you look at it, the Texans are set up very well this season and beyond. We mentioned before how adding Ben Skowronek could let them release Andrew Beck and save a roster spot. If they view the Offensive Line as highly as I do, they could look to keep an extra Lineman on the active roster.
