Former Irish offensive lineman Nick Martin was drafted with the 50th-overall pick — and 19th pick of the second round — by the Houston Texans in the 2016 NFL Draft on Friday night.

Martin was a two-year captain for Notre Dame, playing mostly at left guard in 2014 and center for all of 2015. He also started 11 games at center in 2013 prior to suffering a knee injury against BYU that brought his sophomore season to an early close.

Observer File Photo

Martin was the 31st Irish center to be drafted and the first since Eric Olsen was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was also the fourth former Notre Dame player drafted in this year’s class, joining former teammates Ronnie Stanley, Will Fuller and Jaylon Smith.

The Texans traded up from pick No. 52 to draft Martin at No. 50, swapping picks with the Atlanta Falcons. He is expected to immediately start at center for Houston, as last year’s starter, Ben Jones, left the team via free agency this offseason.

Tags: football, Houston Texans, NFL Draft, Nick Martin