Texans' Former First-Round Pick Named Top Trade Candidate

This Houston Texans former first-round draft pick could ultimately be traded during the NFL offseason.

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans guard Kenyon Green (76) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans won 10 games and captured the AFC South division title this season, but there is no getting around the fact that they have been one of the NFL's most disappointing teams.

One of the biggest reasons for the Texans' underwhelming showing in 2024 was pedestrian quarterback play from C.J. Stroud, which can largely be traced back to Houston's brutal offensive line.

Stroud was sacked 52 times this year, considerably higher than 2023 when he was dropped 38 times.

While some of that can be attributed to Stroud holding on to the ball too long, he also wasn't getting great protection, and a big reason for that was the rather discouraging play from guard Kenyon Green.

A former first-round pick, Green was horrendous in 2024, and Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus actually feels that Green could be a trade candidate during the offseason.

"In his two healthy years, Green has recorded PFF overall grades of 37.7 and 38.6, struggling as both a run blocker and in pass protection," Locker wrote. "In fact, Green was the third-lowest-graded offensive lineman in the NFL this season (minimum 500 snaps). The sad truth is that Green’s inability to develop has severely hindered Houston’s interior offensive line and, thus, the team’s offensive efficacy."

The question is, just how much value would Green have at this point?

On the plus side, the 23-year-old has just one year remaining on his deal (you have to assume that the Texans won't be picking up his fifth-year option for 2026), and there is minimal financial obligation toward him in 2025 (he is slated to earn $2.9 million in base salary next season).

Perhaps a team in need of offensive line depth would take a flier on Green considering he was once a highly-touted prospect, but it's hard to imagine Houston landing anything of significance for the Texas A&M product.