In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the Houston Texans traded up a couple of spots in the 2026 NFL Draft to move to No. 26. In a much more surprising note, they used that selection to take Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge.
The Texans sent picks Nos. 28, 69, and 167 to the Buffalo Bills for Nos. 26 and 91, and while the value of the transaction wasn't necessarily bad, taking a player who was the consensus No. 51 on the board was a massive head-scratcher.
The Indianapolis Colts had already watched the Tennessee Titans add another weapon in Carnell Tate, so this was certainly a breath of fresh air, not to mention a big laugh for the rest of the AFC South.
The Indianapolis Colts need to make the most of this Texans' draft blunder
It's not much of a secret that the Colts' defensive line could use a hand. They wanted Trey Hendrickson for a reason, and their current starting unit of JT Tuimoloau, Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, and Laiatu Latu isn't necessarily the most intimidating. As such, wasting DeMeco Ryans' team essentially wastes a first-round pick on a developmental guy is just a big win.
Rutledge, a projected Day 2 selection, doesn't have the footwork or the hand placement to be a contributor on Day 1, and he might never be better than just average in pass-protection. The Texans have a revolving door at the offensive line, and they were much better in 2025 after a dreadful 2024, but their latest additions don't make much sense.
The rookie out of Georgia Tech will most likely sit for a year behind the recently signed Wyatt Teller, who's coming off the worst season of his career and is no spring chicken. Their need for help in the interior was evident, but they could've found much more value with this pick instead of actually giving up assets to move up a couple of spots for a guy no one had on their radar.
Now, it's all about making the most of this blunder. The Colts will be on the clock at No. 47, and most signs point to them bolstering the trenches with someone for their front seven. All teams in the AFC South should be much better on offense next season, and Lou Anarumo's unit still has a lot to prove after crumbling to pieces in the second half of the campaign.
The Colts only sacked C.J. Stroud twice in as many meetings last season, and given his struggles under pressure, that should be a point of emphasis for their yearly meetings. If Rutledge plays as a rookie, that should be much easier in 2026.
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