First-round rookie offensive lineman Tytus Howard has made a good impression on the Houston Texans through one preseason game with the organization.
Howard played left guard for the Texans during the 28-26 loss at the Green Bay Packers Thursday night at Lambeau Field. The former Alabama State Hornet may have come to the Texans as a tackle, but he has broken into the NFL as a guard. Along the way, he has demonstrated the qualities coach Bill O’Brien looks for in a player.
“Tytus is a good guy,” O’Brien told reporters Saturday at Houston Methodist Training Center. “He’s played hard, he’s getting better. It’s very important to him. He’s got a really good humble and hungry personality, which is really what we’re looking for. We’re just looking for guys that want to go out there and play hard, play smart and be dependable, and we’re excited to have him.”
Having Howard able to play guard also allows the Texans to ascertain which five-man combination along the offensive line can provide the best protection for quarterback Deshaun Watson and also open up running lanes for starting running back Lamar Miller and the rest of the running back corps.
“He’s a versatile player,” O’Brien said. “We’re playing him at guard right now, he jumped in there at tackle and did some good things the other night.”
Jumping in at tackle and manning the position, preferably at left tackle, is ultimately the plan for Howard’s career. As of now, the 6-5, 322-pound offensive lineman is getting used to the speed at the NFL with a veteran to his left in tackle Matt Kalil and another veteran in either center Greg Mancz or Zach Fulton.
