HOUSTON—Duane Brown, the Houston Texans’ first round draft pick, signed his contract and hit the practice field early Friday morning.

He was the 26^th selection overall in the draft out of Virginia Tech and he’s expected to be the starting left tackle when the season begins.

Brown, who is now number 26, was drafted earlier than any other offensive lineman in Texans’ history.

The offensive left tackle spot has been a problem since the Texans started the organization seven years ago.