The Biggest Question Texans Still Haven't Answered After Free Agency

Despite a busy offseason, the Houston Texans have some questions still left unanswered.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio walks on the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans have done a ton of positive work around their roster throughout this offseason's free agency period to bring in multiple new starters for both sides of the ball rolling into Week One of next season.

However, considering the draft is still a few weeks away, and the team-building process is far from complete for practically every other team around the league, it's fair to say the Texans are included in that mix that still have a few lingering questions left to answer on how their roster could look for next season.

The biggest of those questions, even with their extended work on the position group through the past few weeks, might still reside on their offensive line––and particularly as it concerns who's going to start at center within the Texans' upgraded front.

Who's going to be the Texans' starting center once next season kicks off? There are a few directions they could go, but nothing quite set in stone for them just yet.

Who Could Be the Texans' Answer at Center?

As it currently stands, there are three likely options the Texans have on the table when it comes to addressing their center position for 2026.

The first is rolling with last year's starter, Jake Andrews, who the Texans rolled out confidently as their guy at center for 16 regular-season games and their two postseason outings. Houston offensive line coach Cole Popovich seemingly sees good value in his skillset, but there's still room for improvement with a higher ceiling option.

Another option could be to turn towards free agent addition Evan Brown—a versatile interior offensive lineman who comes aboard from the Arizona Cardinals after having played left guard for the past two seasons, yet has the versatility to slide inside to center.

But, like Andrews, it doesn't seem like there's an extremely high ceiling by slotting him in as the starter instead. Brown was ranked towards the bottom of NFL guards last season in terms of pass and run block grades via PFF, and now he'd be tasked with switching to a whole new position in a fresh offensive system.

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Evan Brown (63) against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The third option, though, could be the most appealing: the Texans target a highly-ranked center prospect within the second day of the draft, and thus add in another dose of competition, youth, and depth into the room that could certainly be utilized.

The Texans have two picks in the second round and one in the third, that gives ample flexibility to target a top name at the position with a high-end pick; potentially someone that could slot in as a starter as early as year one.

Names like Auburn's Connor Lew, Kansas State's Sam Hecht, or Iowa's Logan Jones could be worth watching around the back of the second/top of the third round especially, and might bring a quality spark to Houston's offensive line that helps completely round out this re-worked protection for 2026. 

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