The Houston Texans landed eight new players on their roster during the 2026 NFL Draft. While there were some niche pieces to improve the passing game, general manager Nick Caserio made it clear that there would be an emphasis on finding physicality and brute strength, especially in the front seven and on the offensive line.
That included some impact players in offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, tight end Marlin Klein, offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu, and linebacker Aiden Fisher. The Texans also added in special teams depth with wide receiver Lewis Bond, defensive back Kamari Ramsey and linebacker Wade Woodaz.
On paper, Houston addressed its top four needs. It added depth to the lineup and ensured that every hole would be filled ahead of the impending season. Does that make the team a darling in the eyes of The Athletic's Dane Brugler?
Not quite. While Brugler loved the pick up of McDonald and didn't seem to have an issue with Rutledge's selection, he still ranked the Texans' draft class No. 23 overall and fourth among teams in the AFC South.
The favorite pick by Brugler? McDonald, a fan favorite who was constantly mocked by analysts to the Texans at No. 28 leading up to the draft.
"I liked the Keylan Rutledge pick, especially after talking to other teams that were not happy he went before they could get him," Brugler wrote. "But McDonald was my favorite here because of his potential impact on an already impressive defense. He has dominant run-defending qualities."
A 326-pound wrecking machine, McDonald was an anchor of the No. 3 run defense in college football. He totaled 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his final season at Ohio State.
He's expected to be a Day 1 contributor on the defensive line and a player built to shut down running lanes and elevate the edge rushers on passing sets.
As for the pick who could be the biggest surprise, Brugler went with the fourth-round offensive lineman Nwaiwu out of Oklahoma. An unknown position-wise, the senior former walk-on-turned-SEC starter seems to be one of the favorite picks from head coach DeMeco Ryans.
"Nwaiwu is underwhelming as an athlete, but he more than makes up for it with his intelligence and play strength," Brugler wrote. "He logged starts at four of the five offensive line positions in college, and he counts as another step in the right direction as the Texans look to solidify their line."
Nwaiwu helps stabilize the offensive line in terms of depth at both guard and center. He and Rutledge could battle it out for reps at center, but also slowly transform into anchors on the line that help keep the rooster in a great spot for salary cap purposes
Time will tell how this class turns out, but experts have mostly been kind to the Texans' draft class. No one considers it an elite group of talent, but only one publication so far has openly said Houston's in trouble entering 2026 because of a weak unit.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans' draft class among bottom 10 groups by The Athletic's Dane Brugler