The Houston Texans made several changes to their offensive line this offseason to build on the shortcomings of their 2024 roster and create a championship-caliber team in 2025.

C.J. Stroud is back for a promising Year 3, but after being sacked 52 times during his second season, change was necessary. Houston shipped off five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil for several picks, including a 2026 second-round selection, to the Washington Commanders and drafted Minnesota’s Tay Ersery to serve on the blindside for years to come. The Texans also are banking on Blake Fisher to exceed expecations heading into his second season with the offensive line.

A majority of the Texans’ success hinges on Stroud’s ability to stay healthy and upright. A cast of newcomers could take time to blend with their new quarterback, but one player has been a starter since Stroud arrived from Ohio State in 2023.

That’s why Pro Football Focus’s Dalton Wasserman wrote that starting right guard Tytus Howard is the Texans’ top make-or-break player heading into the season.

Howard is the Texans’ highest-graded offensive lineman returning from last season,” Wasserman wrote. “He is also their most important lineman heading into the 2025 campaign, given his versatility and the unit’s currently fluid situation.

“Howard could be asked to play guard, but he has earned just a 46.3 PFF overall grade across more than 1,500 snaps there in his career. That pales in comparison to his more respectable 73.2 PFF overall grade when asked to play tackle. The Texans’ offensive line will likely play a big part in whether the team finds success this season, and Howard is a critical part of that equation.”

Texans general manager Nick Caserio would have tried to have traded Howard if he thought he wasn’t a vital piece of the Texans’ 2025 puzzle. The former first-round pick has shone in recent years his position flexibility and is coming off a season where he played both right tackle and right guard.

Houston would love nothing more than to shift Howard inside permanently, but that largely will come based on Fisher’s play at right tackle. Should he and Ersery form a foundation on the edge, the Texans might have one of the league’s more improved offensive lines in pass protection to help Stroud remain a constant.

If all else fails, the Texans traded a late Day 3 pick for Minnesota Vikings starter Ed Ingram. Perhaps Howard can sustain the success at right tackle while Ingram finds some success on the interior.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: PFF picks this starter as Texans’ make-or-break player in 2025