Duane Brown, Offensive Tackle

So far in this series the popular superstars have gotten a lot of attention. Granted, they should as they are among the best players on the team. However, a lot of the big names on the Texans like Arian Foster wouldn’t be able to put up such impressive numbers without a solid line. Enter Duane Brown. Brown was drafted with the 26th pick of the first round in the 2008 draft out of Virginia Tech. Brown made an impact immediately as he started every single game as a rookie. He played a major role in keeping Matt Schaub off his back during what was a great season offensively for the team that year. In 2012 he did not commit a holding penalty or allow a single sack. Overall, Brown is a great player and his value to the team is immense. The Texans are well aware of this as he is currently in the middle of a six-year $53.4 million contract.

Brown is irreplaceable not only because of what a great lineman he is, but also because the drop-off would be huge if he were injured. The Texans do not have a lot of depth on the line and it is no different at offensive tackle. Behind Brown is Jeff Adams. He is still more of a developmental tackle at this point and his skill level is nowhere near that of Brown. The backup at right tackle is Bryan Witzmann who also has a long way to go before he is ready to start.

Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer will need all the help they can get this season and having a pro-bowler in Brown makes their job much easier. If Brown would get injured, a much less skilled and inexperienced player would take his place. This could cause headaches, literally and figuratively, for whoever is under center for the Texans in the fall. Brown may actually be the most irreplaceable player on the team and the offense would suffer greatly without him on the field.

