Texans Draft Keylan Rutledge at No. 26: Was It a Smart Move for Houston?
- The Houston Texans selected Georgia Tech offensive guard Keylan Rutledge with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading up two spots with the Buffalo...
- Rutledge started 37 games over his final three seasons of college football, including two at Middle Tennessee and one at Georgia Tech after transferring.
- He was also awarded the 2025 Piccolo Award as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s most courageous player and served as team captain at both Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech.
The Houston Texans selected Georgia Tech offensive guard Keylan Rutledge with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading up two spots with the Buffalo Bills.
In the trade, the Texans acquired the No. 26 pick and a third-round selection (No. 91) from the Bills, who received the No. 28 pick, a third-round pick (No. 69) and a fifth-round pick (No. 167) in return.
Rutledge started 37 games over his final three seasons of college football, including two at Middle Tennessee and one at Georgia Tech after transferring. He earned first-team All-American honors in back-to-back years at Georgia Tech, becoming the first Yellow Jackets player since Calvin Johnson to achieve the feat.
He was also awarded the 2025 Piccolo Award as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s most courageous player and served as team captain at both Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech.
According to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Rutledge ranked as the fourth-best guard in his annual draft guide and No. 62 overall on the top 300 big board. Brugler noted that Rutledge “will have trouble at times protecting his edges, but his aggressive mindset and competitive toughness are the roots of his success” and added that if his medicals are clean, he will compete for immediate playing time at guard or center.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio praised Rutledge’s mindset, saying, “Doesn’t care about anything else. He wants to punch you in the mouth and that works here,” and added that the player’s toughness and physicality align with the team’s identity.
Rutledge, listed at 6-foot-4 and 318 pounds, did not allow a sack in over 400 pass-blocking reps during his lone season at Georgia Tech and has experience snapping for teams during the pre-draft process, showing versatility along the offensive line.
The selection marks part of the Texans’ long-term plan to strengthen their offensive line, with Caserio indicating the team intends to run the football more aggressively in the coming season.