Howard made a similar position change in 2021. But then it was to replace an injured Tunsil and GeronChristian at left tackle. In four starts at the position, Howard allowed one sack, two pressures and a 99.0 pass blocking efficiency grade per Pro Football Focus.
The other is Blake Fisher. Houston selected him in the second round of the 2024 draft as a primary backup to both Tunsil and Howard. Fisher briefly spelled Tunsil in four games last season while the left tackle was tending to injuries. Those stints were troublesome as he allowed five pressures in just 44 snaps according to PFF.
Fisher earned a starting spot at right tackle to finish the season when Howard pushed inside late in the year. There were also growing pains in that stretch, as Fisher allowed six sacks and 18 pressures over the six consecutive starts at the position. It concluded with an ugly playoff performance against the Kansas City Chiefs where Fisher was accountable for three sacks and seven pressures in the loss.
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Many tackles available on the open market were picked up before the Texans made the trade. Though there are some options still available as of late Monday. Tyron Smith, Cam Robinson, Jedrick Wills Jr., Joseph Noteboom and Trent Brown appear to be potential options.
Smith is a two-time First Team All-Pro from his long tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. But injuries have been an issue for him over the last five seasons. Smith missed the final seven games of the season last year with the New York Jets due to a neck injury. He allowed five sacks and 22 pressures across 10 games last year per PFF. He's also four years older than Tunsil at 34.
Robinson is a name that Houston is familiar with after spending most of his first eight seasons in the AFC South with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after seven games last year to help shore up their blindside ahead of a playoff push. He allowed eight sacks and 64 pressures across 18 games with both teams in 2024.
Wills would be familiar to Ryans as he was a standout at his alma mater, Alabama. That earned him a top 10 selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 NFL draft. Wills has shown worthy of that pick at times but been inconsistent in his NFL career. He allowed three sacks and 11 pressures across five games before suffering a lingering knee injury ended his season last year. Though Ryans and Caserio have shown a liking to Alabama products, having as many as six on the roster last season.
Noteboom doesn’t have familiarity with Ryans, though he does with a new key member of the Texans staff. He’s played all seven of his NFL seasons for the Los Angeles Rams, the last two of which came under the coaching of new Houston offensive coordinator Nick Caley. Noteboom was not a primary starter for the Rams but familiarity with the Texans' new offensive leadership could draw some interest.
Another player who shares history with Caley is Brown. The soon-to-be 31-year-old was the starting left tackle for the New England Patriots twice when Caley was a coach there including when they won the Super Bowl in 2018. Brown allowed 11 sacks and 47 pressures across those two seasons (2018, 2022). He was to be the Cincinnati Bengals starting right tackle last season but tore his patellar tendon after three games. If Brown still has top level play left in him, he could be a name to watch given his familiarity with Caley.
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Houston currently has pick No. 25 in the first round, likely too late for a top-tier tackle to be available.
With 17 picks in the next two drafts, Houston could package some of them to trade up to select a tackle this year. LSU’s Will Campbell, Missouri’s Armand Membou and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. are likely to be among the first tackles taken.
If Houston wants to keep those picks and find their tackle with their current draft pick, they might be able to do so as well. Options like Ohio State’s Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson, Oregon’s Josh Connerly Jr. and Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery could be available at the end of the first round. /