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The Texans could look to swing a trade with the Jaguars for offensive lineman Walker Little in an attempt to get more protection for C.J. Stroud under center
The Houston Texans once again advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, but in what is becoming a recurring trend, that was as far as they would go in the postseason. Despite boasting a lockdown defense, the Texans could not overcome their inconsistent offense when it came to their quest to make a Super Bowl run in 2025.
It’s not too hard to pinpoint Houston’s biggest weakness, as its offensive line was one of the worst units in the league last season. As a result, the front office is expected to look to make upgrades at this spot over the offseason, and that could lead them to swing a trade with one of their division rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, for offensive lineman Walker Little.
Texans Trade Pitch Sees Them Land Walker Little from the Jaguars
After a standout rookie campaign for the Texans in 2023, Stroud’s play has fallen off a cliff over the past two seasons. While there are a slew of things he’s not doing right, it also hasn’t helped that he is facing an outrageous amount of pressure on a play-by-play basis. Simply put, the offensive line has not been up to par for Houston in 2024 and 2025.
Not only can the Texans not protect Stroud, but they also have struggled to open up holes on the ground for their rushing attack. While the team’s defense is stellar, it doesn’t mean anything if their offense can’t get anything done on the other side of the ball. We saw that on full display in their playoff loss to the New England Patriots.
Upgrading the o-line is always a tough task, but there is a unique option that could be a perfect fit for Houston, and it’s Little. The versatile lineman can play at both tackle and guard, but he lost the team’s starting left tackle job last season, although he still started 14 games for the team. It doesn’t appear he’s part of the team’s long-term future, though, which led Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report to suggest the Texans send a fourth-round pick to the Jags in exchange for Little.
“The Texans were one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines (29th in yards before contact) and weren’t all that great at protecting C.J. Stroud either. If the Texans want their quarterback to bounce back they are going to have to improve the o-line,” Ballentine wrote. “The Texans aren’t likely to find real tackle competition with guard versatility on Day 3 of the draft. That’s exactly what they would get out of Walker Little … It’s a cost-effective move that could pay off big.”
Should the Texans Trade for Walker Little?
GettyWalker Little #72 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field on October 31, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.
Intra-division trades are always a bit risky, but this would be a very smart move for the Texans. Little would be a significant upgrade for Houston at a couple of different spots, depending on where the team would want to use him. Jacksonville could get some much-needed cap relief by moving on from Little, and a fourth-round pick could be all it takes to convince them to pull the trigger on this deal.
Right now, the Texans have to be open to pretty much any avenue that could be used to upgrade their offensive line. Little may not be a fit with the Jaguars, but he could be precisely what Houston is looking for. It may take some convincing, but if Jacksonville is open to trading Little, this is a deal the Texans should absolutely consider making.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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