It's our final installment of grading the rookie offensive linemen at the halfway point of the season!
This week, we are looking at the AFC rookies not in the AFC North. Of those five rookies, four are playing along the interior, showing the value and need at those positions across the conference.
The Los Angeles Chargers haven't had much to cheer for this season, but a silver lining is that they may have found their franchise center in the second round of the draft. Meanwhile, the Dolphins, Texans, and Jaguars all found starting-caliber left guards who have their flaws but also have room to improve.
The Kansas City Chiefs, however, are the one team left to discuss that may have found a starting tackle for the future, and he wasn't even drafted. So, did Kansas City uncover the biggest surprise of the group?
Was the Houston Texans' swing for Keylan Rutledge worth it?
Grade: C+
The Houston Texans made a small move up in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Keylan Rutledge out of Georgia Tech. Rutledge became famous in draft and offensive line circles for his physicality and "bouncer at a club" demeanor on film.
But his selection in the first round was a bit of a surprise, especially for the Texans who paid a couple of guard-capable players in free agency.
Houston's plan, however, was to try to make Rutledge their starting center. But like Tate Ratledge in 2025, the move didn't pan out. Instead, Rutledge has been the Week 1 starter at left guard and has shown promise.
On the positive side, Rutledge has shown all of his strengths from college. He has power as a run blocker, anchors well in pass protection, and loves to look for work and tag rushers who are otherwise distracted.
Rutledge appears more balanced and under control so far in the NFL as well. He's not playing so upright and loose as he just tries to smash people, but is playing more within himself. He also looks impressive on the move in short areas by pulling or climbing to linebackers.
One struggle for Rutledge has been giving up quick pressure from defenders moving across his face. In pass protection, before he engages with a rusher, he tends to stall his feet. This allows a rusher to quickly cut across Rutledge and get after the quarterback.
From just his last two games, I charted seven pressures on C.J. Stroud that I put on Rutledge. Five of those seven were from defenders beating him laterally to a gap.
Final verdict: Rutledge looks good in a vacuum and has a positive outcome on most plays. But this one weakness is a glaring one that he'll need to continue to improve on. There's enough to like about his game, but the Texans need more consistency from their first-round investment.
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