The Houston Texans drafted Mississippi State offensive lineman Martinas Rankin with their second third-round draft pick in 2018. The Texans acquired the 80th draft pick and a 2019 second round pick in the draft by trading Pro Bowl offensive tackle Duane Brown to the Seattle Seahawks.
Rankin was drafted with the intention of having him become one of the Texans starting offensive tackles in the long term. He missed the majority of training camp and the preseason recovering from foot surgery. Rankin displayed his versatility against the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason playing tackle and guard.