Houston Texans Fans Get A Real Update On A Position Battle At Center
A crucial battle for the Texans' starting center spot heats up as the draft approaches, with several intriguing prospects emerging.
The Houston Texans have done a great job throughout the 2026 offseason of addressing the issues on the offensive line. On paper, the group looks much better than it did in 2025. The main additions include Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller, who are two veterans that were signed to two-year deals during free agency.
The entire starting offensive line is pretty much set, aside from the fact that the organization would like to upgrade the center position. Houston was not able to be in play on the big-market names at center during free agency. Tyler Linderbaum reset the center market by signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Texans could not have come close to their offer with some of the future extensions that the franchise needs to be worried about giving out.
This means that the center position is going to get hit during the 2026 NFL Draft, but there isn't any sure-fire center prospects entering the league this time around. Jake Andrews was Houston's starting center in 2025 as he started 16 games, and he left a lot to be desired. The organization would like to find a young center in the draft, and thankfully Houston has several picks right around the area where centers are supposed to start coming off of the board.
Ben Solak of ESPN spoke about the centers in the draft in a recent article , "But challengers at center for Jake Andrews and right tackle for Braden Smith would raise the floor of the group. Centers should start coming off the board around pick No. 69, where Sam Hecht (Kansas State), Jake Slaughter (Florida) and Connor Lew (Auburn) are all vying to be the first taken.