Keylan Rutledge NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Houston Texans IOL

The Houston Texans selected Georgia Tech IOL Keylan Rutledge with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Keylan Rutledge is a broad-framed mauler with heavy hands and bad intentions, who can rag-doll defenders. Inconsistent footwork as a pass protector invite variance when isolated against wider alignments but his tools and demeanor indicate a solid NFL starter.

Rutledge is a 6'4", 316-pound guard prospect who entered the Middle Tennessee State program as a 3-star recruit in the 2022 class before transferring to Georgia Tech prior the 2024 campaign. He was an all-state basketball player who amassed 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and won the state championship in the shot put as a senior.

Rutledge started 26 games at right guard as a Yellow Jacket, earning first team All-ACC honors both seasons. He was also a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2023, with 11 games at right guard, after earning a Conference USA All-Freshman selection in 2022 with six starts at right guard.

Brandon Thorn: Brandon is the author of the Trench Warfare newsletter, which focuses exclusively on offensive and defensive line evaluation. He also contributes as an analyst to Establish the Run, serves as the scouting coordinator for OL Masterminds and is a selection committee member for the Joe Moore Award. 

Highlights

Keylan Rutledge highlights

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Where He Wins

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- Broad frame, solid arm length and heavy hands.

- Can brace and anchor on command against the bull-rush, penetrators and speed-to-power pass-rush moves.

- Has solid burst and movement skills on the move, with the power to jar smaller defenders lift them off of their feet.

- Firm presence on base, angle-drive and overtake blocks to cover up his target, and enough leg drive to solidify lanes when defenders reach into gaps.

- Excellent competitive toughness and effort with a nasty demeanor as a finisher.

Areas of Improvement

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- Inconsistent positional leverage in pass protection creates soft edges due to setting too flat or too far against loose/wide rushers.

- Upright playing style with wide hand-placement leads to quick stalemates, which force him into recovery mode to regain leverage.

- Unrefined footwork results in some uncoordinated, disjointed positions against movement across his face.

Grade, Rank and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 7.6 (Key Contributor - 2nd Round)

COMPARABLE GRADE: Dominick Puni (7.4 in 2024), Christian Mahogany (7.2 in 2024), Cade Mays (6.9 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 52

POSITION RANK: IOL3

PRO COMPARISON: Dylan Fairchild

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 6'4"
Weight: 316
Arm: 33 ¼"
Hand: 10"

40-Yard Dash: 5.05
10-Yard Split: 1.81
Vertical: 32 ½"
Broad: 8'8"
Shuttle: 4.54
3-Cone: 7.54
Bench: NA