Breakdown and analysis of new Texans rookie OL Keylan Rutledge

What Nick Caserio said

"When you put the tape on. Everybody who watched him, your notes basically say physical, tough, strong, good run blocker, good at the point of attack. He's probably more athletic than people think he is. He's got some technique things that he can certainly clean up, which I think one of the things with the workout sometimes is you're trying to (indiscernible) how do they apply the coaching. The makeup on this guy is elite. A couple of the metrics that we have when we grade players, in four or five categories, there was one player in the draft that our scouts graded the way that they did, and it was him."

What DeMeco Ryans said

“We're excited for Keylan to be a part of our team because he represents what we are about, and that's about playing tough, playing physical. It's about finishing. For anyone who's watched this young man's tape, you know the highlight of his tape is how he finishes plays. It's something that's innate, something that's in him and something that we truly believe in here. I know he's going to bring that toughness and that physicality and that finish mindset, that relentless mindset that we look for. He's bringing that to our team. That's why we're fired up to have him.”

RAS Score

RAS Score: 9.54 out of a possible 10.00

Grade: B+

"Moving back 22 spots in Round 3 to move up two spots in Round 1 isn't ideal, but from a scheme standpoint, Rutledge fits exactly what the Texans' offense is looking to become under Nick Caley. Rutledge is the type of player you know isn't afraid to spend his weekend bare-knuckle boxing while working on his footwork for pass-blocking set. The hard-hitting guard is someone destined to protect his quarterback by throwing people out of the way. He one time got upset with officials for forcing him to leave the field because his face couldn't stop bleeding after he headbutted a defender. This is a people mover in run blocking with the upside to improve with each snap. That's all that matters when looking to win now and build for the future." - Cole Thompson

Year 1 Role

Expected part-time starter at guard or full-time starter at center. Houston could have him play under the ball in Year 1, with the long-term plan to move him over to guard starting in 2027.

Highlights

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Breakdown and analysis of new Texans rookie OL Keylan Rutledge