There has been a lot of talk throughout training camp and the preseason about the Houston Texans’ offensive line. Their predicted starters on the line are Aireontae Ersery at left tackle, Wyatt Teller at left guard, rookie Keylan Rutledge at center, Ed Ingram at right guard and Braden Smith at right tackle.
This group of five are viewed as one of the worst offensive line units in the NFL, so the Texans decided to trade for offensive lineman Nathan Thomas from the Dallas Cowboys to boost their depth on the line.
Source: The #Texans are trading for #Cowboys OT Nathan Thomas, adding some depth on their offensive line. He stays in-state. pic.twitter.com/8ggyouQlwt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2026
Thomas was drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft although
he missed his entire rookie season after being placed on injured reserve. In 2025, he played in every game for Dallas, starting four of those games. He was called for four penalties last year including one holding penalties and a false start.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Thomas was actually one of the worst offensive linemen in the NFL last season. His overall PFF grade was the second lowest at 39.2 and he especially struggled in pass rush protection. Thomas allowed 23 total pressures including four quarterback hits and three sacks.
He was better in run blocking with a PFF grade of 52.9, which was still rather low compared to other offensive linemen in the NFL.
It is unclear at this point how much of a role Thomas is going to have on the offensive line this year. However, last year with the Cowboys, he also saw minimal action special teams. That could be the case again this year with Houston.
The Texans open the regular season at home against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 13.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans acquire Dallas Cowboys OT Nathan Thomas for Day 3 pick
