The Houston Texans traded up two spots to select Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Rutledge, a Cleveland, Tennessee native who starred at Bradley Central High School, started inside at Georgia Tech and earned a reputation as a physical, violent mauler in the run game. He executed 339 pull blocks in 2025, the highest total in the ACC, while scouts list pass protection as a question for his transition to the NFL. Rutledge posted a 9.53 RAS, ranking 90th among 1,904 historical guards, and gives Houston a high-floor interior blocker who will be asked to help protect C.J. Stroud and bolster the Texans' running attack.
