The NFL Draft is never a sure thing. It’s a high-stakes, three-day chess match where the board keeps shifting - shaped by ownership, coaching philosophies, team needs, and a whole lot of luck.
One year, you land a franchise cornerstone. The next, you’re left wondering what went wrong.
But over the past few seasons, one team that’s largely been on the right side of that equation is the Houston Texans.
Since taking the reins as general manager in 2021, Nick Caserio has put together an impressive draft résumé. He’s brought in key contributors like Nico Collins (89th overall), Derek Stingley Jr. (3rd), Jalen Pitre (37th), CJ Stroud (2nd), Will Anderson Jr. (3rd), Tank Dell (69th), Henry To’oTo’o (167th), Kamari Lassiter (42nd), and Calen Bullock (78th). That’s a solid mix of high-end talent and mid-to-late-round value - the kind of haul that lays the foundation for a playoff-caliber roster.
And let’s be clear: even if you’re not sold on Stroud after a rocky postseason, or you’re concerned about Dell’s return from injury, this is still one of the more productive draft runs in recent memory. It’s no coincidence the Texans have posted 10-plus wins in each of the last three seasons. But for all the success Caserio’s had adding weapons and playmakers, there’s one glaring area where the hits have been few and far between - the offensive line.
That’s the elephant in the room. Houston’s inability to build a consistent, reliable front five has been the one thing holding this team back from taking the next step. Caserio’s been on the job for over five years now, and while the roster has improved in plenty of areas, the offensive line remains a work in progress.
Take left tackle Aireontae Ersery, for example. Drafted 48th overall out of Minnesota last April, Ersery was thrown into the fire early - partly out of necessity.
He had his rookie moments, no doubt, but he held his own well enough to stay in the lineup. There’s potential there, and if he develops, that could be a win for Caserio.
But one promising rookie doesn’t fix a line.
The rest of the recent o-line picks? That’s where things get dicey.
Kenyon Green, Austin Deculus, Juice Scruggs, Jarrett Patterson, Blake Fisher, LaDarius Henderson - none have emerged as long-term answers. That’s six swings, and so far, none have cleared the fences.
When you’ve only used seven of your last 41 draft picks on offensive linemen, and only one looks like a potential hit, that’s a 14% success rate. And in the trenches, that’s just not going to cut it.
So what’s going on here? Is it a scouting issue - a misread on talent evaluation?
Or is it a philosophical thing, where the Texans simply haven’t prioritized the position the way they should? The 2026 NFL Draft might give us some clarity.
In his end-of-season press conference, Caserio gave some insight into the Texans’ approach. “I think our philosophy on the Draft is to get good football players in here with the right mentality and mindset, regardless of the position that they play,” Caserio said. “Whoever comes in this building, at some point they’re probably going to have to play.”
It’s a sound philosophy, and to be fair, it’s worked. When you’re coming off a 12-win season, you’ve earned the right to lean into a best-player-available strategy.
But even the best rosters have weak spots, and for Houston, the offensive line is still that spot. If it’s not addressed soon, it could start to chip away at everything else they’ve built - including the development of CJ Stroud.
Stroud showed flashes of brilliance this season, but also picked up some bad habits - many of which can be traced back to 2024, when he was running for his life behind one of the league’s worst pass-blocking units. That’s the kind of exposure that can stunt a young quarterback’s growth, no matter how talented he is.
That’s why you’re starting to see draft analysts zero in on the Texans’ offensive line as a top priority. Daniel Jeremiah recently mocked Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling to Houston at No. 28 overall.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. went with Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor. Both are SEC tackles with starting pedigree, and both could help stabilize a front that’s still in flux.
Kiper laid it out clearly: “Houston turned its offensive line upside down last offseason in a full makeover effort, but there wasn’t enough improvement. The unit was still 30th in pass block win rate at 55.5%, though the sack count dropped from 54 to 31.”
That’s progress - but not enough. And with the entire right side of the line currently unsigned for 2026, the urgency is rising.
Proctor, in particular, brings versatility. He’s started all 40 of his college games at left tackle - where Ersery currently plays - but could slide to right tackle or even kick inside to guard.
The Texans don’t need to get cute here. They need capable blockers in front of their franchise quarterback.
Period.
Jeremiah sees it. Kiper sees it.
The question now is whether Nick Caserio sees it, too. Because if the Texans want to keep trending upward, they’ll need to get the offensive line right - and soon.