5. C Nick Martin
For someone who received his fair share of slander in the offseason and when he signed a three-year, $33 million extension on Sept. 10, Nick Martin has played very well in 2019.
“Tough, smart and dependable. That’s what Nick is,” coach Bill O’Brien on Sept. 11. “He loves football, he loves being a Texan. In the past he’s had to deal with some injuries, he’s come back, though. He played a lot of football.”
According to ESPN, Martin is the NFL’s sixth-best pass blocker, earning a 96% Pass Block Win Rate throughout the season. He’s also grown as a reliable force for now-two-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson.
“Nick is like a brother to me,” said Watson on Dec. 2. “We have a great relationship. If the quarterback and center don’t have that great relationship, there can be a lot of bad things happen for sure, because he controls everybody up front and as he goes, I go.”
The NFL named Martin an alternate behind Maurkice Pouncey and Rodney Hudson.