Texans OT Braden Smith: No. 18 Ranked Player Can Pay Huge Dividends

We're continuing to push forward in our ranking for the top 25 Houston Texans for the 2026 season, counting down who around the rowter will have the most impact for the year ahead.

Most of our entries from outside of the top 20 leading to now have been names on the offensive and defensive lines. Keylan Rutledge, Kayden McDonald, Aireontae Ersery, Tommy Togiai, have been among them.

And that trend is only continuing here, as Braden Smith, one of the Texans' big free agency signings from this offseason, comes in ranked as our No. 18 player on the roster.

Why Braden Smith Is So Important

The Texans went into this offseason knowing that work had to be done on the offensive line. Last season was a bit improved in terms of their protection for 2024, but not quite the level you'd expect out of a Super Bowl-level group like Houston's striving for.

That's where their investment into Smith comes in, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal to come aboard from the Indianapolis Colts to provide a sense of stability and experience at the tackle position––something that was desperately needed when looking at the state of Houston's offensive line.

He's coming off a bit of a down year suffering from injury and inconsistent production. But he only let up one sack and six pressures through 13 games. He is a positive force in the run game and has over 100 starts to his name that's bound to be a beneficial addition to help this line get on the right track for 2026.

Smith's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

- Has made a name as a positive run-blocker
- Despite injury issues, has a strong mentality
- Experienced; has 105 starts in 8 seasons pro

Weaknesses

- Lacks ideal length as a tackle opposed to guard
- Availability issues have plagued him for the last 3 seasons
- Last season's numbers were iffy; ranked 50th/89 Ts per PFF

What Happens if Smith Gets Hurt?

This is a question that the Texans have prepared for––considering Smith has suffered from availability issues for both injury and mental health battles throughout the past three years in the league. He's played in just 35 of his available 51 games since 2023, ending his most recent season on injured reserve with a neck injury.

But the Texans have a contingency plan in place in the event Smith goes down with Trent Brown; someone who's been in the building for the past year and someone that Houston's been confident starting before, logging a 7-0 record during the regular season while he lined up at right tackle.

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Expect Smith, if healthy heading into training camp, to be the favorite to claim the starting spot at right tackle entering the year. But if those availability issues creep up again, Brown is more than capable of holding it down.

Why We Ranked Smith Here

Depending on how the Texans' offensive line competition develops in camp, there's a real chance that Brown can be the one taking the lead as the starting right tackle ahead of Smith. Smith didn't participate in team drills during OTAs and minicamp, and that left Brown as the one taking the reps at right tackle.

Based on the Texans' steep investment made into Smith via free agency, though, he's is going to get his opportunities to have a big role later this month.

And if he can capitalize on those to be the acquisition the Texans brought him in to be, having a reliable option on the opposite side of Aireontae Ersery can pay massive dividends for this offense in both the run and for C.J. Stroud. He could even end up as one of the most impactful additions made this offseason entirely.

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez al-Shaair, left, and offensive tackle Braden Smith, right, arrive for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's also a chance that things don't go as planned for Smith. If he's slated to be behind Brown as the Texans' backup right tackle, or suffers from the same injury woes that have inhibited him since 2023, then his time in Houston could be cut short.

But even if those come into play, bringing him in earlier this offseason is still going to be viewed as a worthwhile risk and investment to take. The Texans offensive line needed significant addition and upgrades, and Smith was the best option on free agency to bring in and do exactly that.

Time will tell how his fit pans out in his new home. However, it's certainly not a stretch to place him within the top 20 spots on our preseason list. If he catches his stride early, he'd certainly have a case to rise up pretty quickly.

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