The Houston Texans greatest need in the 2025 offseason is at guard. No one will debate they need to move on from Kenyon Green, who never lived up to his first-round status.
We could argue whether they need to make other moves on the line as well, but the first focus will be shoring up the left guard position.
That's why it's not surprising to see one of the best available free agents linked to them ahead of the offseason. Brad Locker of Pro Football Focus named one perfect free agent match for every team and for the Texans, he selected guard Kevin Zeitler.
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A first-round pick in 2012, Zeitler has been a full-time starter for 13 seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023 but should have earned that honor multiple times. He spent the 2024 campaign with the Detroit Lions, where he proved to be one of the best pass guards in both run blocking and pass protection. That's why Locker sees him as the perfect addition for Houston.
"Houston finished last year ranked 25th in team PFF run-blocking grade, but Zeitler’s 87.2 PFF run-blocking mark was the second best among qualified guards. He was also effective in pass blocking to the tune of a 97.9 PFF pass-blocking efficiency score, including a 96.4 mark on true pass sets."
Kevin Zeitler would help C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans offense
The Texans offense struggled far too often in 2024 thanks to their offensive line. Their inability to protect Stroud garnered the attention, but they were just as bad when it came to opening holes for running back Joe Mixon.
They hope the move to Nick Caley as offensive coordinator will help, especially since he stresses getting ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly. Adding Zeitler would do even more since it would benefit not only Stroud, but also make life easier for Mixon — who had to do far too much on his own in 2024.