Where will Houston Texans rookie offensive lineman Keylan Ruteldge line up in 2026?
Every position seems to be up for grabs on the interior side of the line, including starting the year on the bench.
It’s still early in the stages of OTAs, but Ruteldge, the Texans‘ first-round pick, saw reps at left guard with the first-team offense on Wednesday. Veteran Evan Brown mostly saw reps at center and was signed the offenseason to fight for first-team reps at center with Jake Andrews.
But earlier in the week, Wyatt Teller saw reps at left guard with Andrews starting at center. And last week, Rutledge saw reps with the first-team offense with Teller working with the left guard position.
The selling part of Rutledge was always his position flexibility. At Georgia Tech, he was an All-American guard, but during Senior Bowl workouts, Rutledge worked out at center. Teams tested him out throughout the pre-draft process as a center and was considered a top interior offensive lineman in the draft.
“He’s done a great job with both,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Really great communicator as a young player, aggressive, intense, just like the tape you saw at Georgia Tech, so it’s looked great so far in OTAs.”
If everything goes according to plan, the Texans will have four new starting linemen protecting C.J. Stroud. Tytus Howard was shipped off to Cleveland last offseason in exchange for a late-round pick. Teller and former Indianapolis Colts starting right tackle Braden Smith signed multi-year deals, so the duo should see first-team reps if they’re healthy. Aireontae Ersery did a good enough job as a rookie to prove he’s locked down the left tackle spot for next season.
So that leaves Rutledge in a battle with Andrews and Brown for center reps. If he wins the job, he’ll have earned his right to start, but the Texans have always been about putting the best five players out there to keep the team in tact.
“You got young guys flying around making plays wanting to hit people in the mouth,” Ersery said of the offensive line. “A couple guys probably mentioned DeMeco pulling the O-line back, which usually doesn’t happen. It’s been refreshing.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: Where will Keylan Rutledge play in 2026 on the offensive line?
