What are Houston’s best options to repair the interior offensive line?
Another season full of optimism has came and went without the Houston Texans hoisting the Lombardi trophy, but optimism for the future has rarely ever been higher. Despite the season ending in the Divisional Round once again for Houston, it has never been so clear to the spectators and decision-makers alike what this team needs to claim a championship.
Few previous teams in Texans history can claim to be better than the 2024 squad, but few more have had weaknesses so glaring; namely, a porous offensive line. You cannot tell the story of the 2024 Houston Texans without describing their offensive line as an Achilles heel, or at least as a major contributor to the season’s premature end. So, what starting lineup is Houston working with right now?
Houston Texans current offensive line depth chart:
LT: Laremy Tunsil (1,174 snaps, 78.1 PFF), Zach Thomas, Austin Deculus, Jaylon Thomas
LG: Kenyon Green (582 snaps, 38.6 PFF), Tytus Howard, Juice Scruggs, Jerome Carvin
C: Jarrett Patterson (688 snaps, 64.1 PFF), Juice Scruggs (586 snaps, 63.0 PFF), Jaylon Thomas
RG: Shaq Mason (999 snaps, 60.5 PFF), Kendrick Green, Juice Scruggs, Nick Broeker, LaDarius Henderson, Tremayne Anchrum
RT: Tytus Howard (1,157 snaps, 70.2 PFF), Blake Fisher (478 snaps, 44.7 PFF)
Between two professional-grade bookends at the tackle position lies a hodgepodge of youth and inexperience, with the notable exception of right guard Shaq Mason. We’ll start with a quick review of the tackles, a spot of controversy among Houston fans this offseason: Left tackle Laremy Tunsil may have taken his false-start issues to another level this past season, but he is still a perennial pro-bowler at one of the most important positions on offense. Say what you will about his run blocking, he is a consummate pass blocker and, thus, worth every penny.
Right tackle Tytus Howard, while not as consistently great as Tunsil, has still been a bright spot on Houston’s line; even when he’s been asked to play at left guard. As hard as it is to give former head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien credit for past decisions, I have to admit that he chose wisely to invest in Tunsil and Howard in 2019.
Shaq Mason, a veteran lineman of Belichickian lore, is entering his third year of an adequate tenure in Houston, which is a better description than you’ll ever hear of the guard spot opposite of him. Left guard Kenyon Green has absorbed the lion’s share of ire from the Texans community after turning in a highly disappointing season curtailed by injury.
Entering his third year in the NFL and with few highlights to speak of, Green’s seat certainly feels the hottest entering the offseason. Following his injury, center Juice Scruggs and then right tackle Tytus Howard replaced him at LG for the remainder of the season. Both had their moments, but neither player will be moving from their original position to capture this spot.
Center, on the other hand, has been a position of decent, if unspectacular performances from both 2023 draftees Jarrett Patterson and Juice Scruggs. Both players have been thrust into major roles in the interior both years they’ve been in the NFL, and both have shown a noticeable jump in performance in year two. Scruggs has cut out a position for himself in the rushing attack, while Patterson continues to impress me every time he is on the field. At this point, I don’t know if the Texans’ coaching staff can justify taking Patterson out of the starting lineup again. If he secures a spot on the line, Scruggs may actually be odd lineman out, searching for opportunity either in another position or with another team.
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
With all this in consideration, the interior line stands to be the weak link, particularly the left guard position. Houston’s front office may consider patching up this hole in the upcoming NFL Draft in April, but I wouldn’t put it past general manager Nick Caserio to try his hand in free agency come March 12. Who could he be eyeing up? Of all the offensive linemen entering free agency, who are the most equipped to make a difference in Houston? Even though there is a healthy selection this offseason, I see there being a clear top five* for the Texans:
*Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith was originally on this list, but has since been taken off after it was announced that the Chiefs had franchise tagged him. Maybe next year.
5. G Teven Jenkins
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
- Age 27
- Height: 6’ 6”, Weight: 321 lbs.
- 738 snaps at LG
- 75.4 PFF (75.8 pass, 74.3 run)
I almost put Eagles guard Mekhi Becton here, but I’d rather side with the slightly more experienced Jenkins for this last spot. Teven Jenkins was taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears as a tackle, and spent only his shortened rookie season playing at that position. Since recovering from the back injury that affected his 2021 campaign, Jenkins has grown into a reliable interior lineman. 2024 was his best year and first at the left guard position, laying claim to a nearly spotless final six games to his season.
A year like that will drive his price up in free agency, which could put Houston in a serious bind if they cough up a major contract just for Jenkins’ injury bug to return. Then again, can a year’s worth of playing time missed off of a rookie contract really make someone “injury prone?” Well, it depends on who you ask. To me, the chance of filling in Houston’s biggest hole is worth the financial risk.
4. G Kevin Zeitler
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
- Age 35
- Height: 6’ 4”, Weight: 340 lbs.
- 1,047 snaps at RG
- 86.8 PFF (71.8 pass, 87.2 run)
Zeitler refuses to age. Despite being well into his 30s, usually the end of the road for most linemen, Zeitler continues to be of the very best blockers in the league. Coming off a career year in Detroit, Zeitler was one of the pavers of the Lions’ prolific “Sonic & Knuckles” rushing attack that highlighted running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Before that, Zeitler spent three years blocking for Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, where he was one of the most reliable pass-blockers in the AFC. That age may give you pause, but he’s averaging over 1,000 snaps a season in his 13-year career. Kevin Zeitler may just be an ageless wonder; someone that seems to be immune to the wear and tear that is commonplace among all other NFL players. If he was four or five years younger, he’d be the consensus best offensive lineman available, and for that reason he remains as one of my favorite targets for the 2025 offseason.
There is one massive caveat to Zeitler, though: he’s played exclusively at right guard his entire, 12-year career in the NFL. Moving to left guard may be something he’s willing to consider at this point in his career, but that may be overly optimistic for me to think. Regardless, he’s a player that the Texans should at least keep an eye on at the beginning of free agency.
3. G Patrick Mekari
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
- Age 28
- Height: 6’ 4”, Weight: 305 lbs.
- 1,131 snaps all at LG except 3 games at RT
- 59.0 PFF, 71.6 pass, 56.0 run
This is a bit of an outlier pick, but one of my personal favorites. Traditionally a tackle, Patrick Mekari has found himself playing at virtually every position along the offensive line due to injuries during his six-year career in Baltimore. Despite the movement along the line, Mekari has been a starter anywhere he’s been placed. He’s incredibly strong, has great footwork and is gifted with some serious agility, making him a perfect complement to the zone based, Joe Mixon centered rushing attack.
Signing Mekari is functionally similar to signing two players; he could quickly replace Kenyon Green at left guard, as well as become a great backup for virtually every other spot along the offensive line. Unlike some other guards on this list, this is a player I can realistically see the Texans being able to compete for and sign this offseason. Some of these players will be getting lucrative offers from a small army of teams with plenty more cap space than Houston, but Mekari is a player that may be willing to forfeit a better, long-term deal for a shorter one with a contender like the Texans.
2. G Will Fries
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
- Age 27
- Height: 6’ 6”, Weight: 305 lbs.
- 268 snaps at RG (1,125 in 2023)
- 86.9 PFF (61.2 in 2023), 74.9 pass (65.4), 84.9 run (59.7)
Will Fries, a former collegiate teammate of Juice Scruggs while at Penn State, may be an ideal option for Houston. Fries’ value is buoyed by his youth and small-but-mighty 2024 sample size, but he still may not breach into unaffordable territory for Houston. Fries has seen his snap count rise dramatically year after year since being drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Just to add insult to the injury of Houston passing up star Kansas City guard Trey Smith in the sixth round, Fries has rounded into a reliable pass blocker and is a rapidly improving, if inconsistent run blocker.
His 2024 season was shaping up to be his best by a long shot until Fries suffered a fractured tibia while facing the Jaguars in October. If his brief but excellent 2024 campaign is to be believed, he’s one of the best young guards in the NFL. If you’d rather put more weight into his 2023 season where he played 1,125 snaps, he’s an adequate right guard with the ceiling to become much better. Regardless of what you think of him, he’s almost certainly better than what Houston has in the left guard spot right now, and the advantage of being able to play with a collegiate teammate in the NFL adds to his value. The interior of the offensive line is often the most chaotic spot on the field, but is Fries to be trusted as a starter at such a pivotal moment in Texans history? Is his injury a deal-breaker? Again, it depends on who you ask; but to me, he’s worth the risk.
1. G James Daniels
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
- Age 28
- Height: 6’ 4”, Weight: 327 lbs.
- 209 snaps at RG (1,010 in 2023)
- 92.9 PFF (61.1 PFF in 2023), 66.5 pass (60.5), 92.5 run (58.6)
In my humble opinion, this is the guy. If Houston wanted to plug a player into their weakest spot on the line and forget about it, this would be the guy to pay. James Daniels has been a starting-caliber lineman immediately after being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has the strength and the legs to hold his own at guard, and revealed as much both in Chicago and in Pittsburgh. Although, the Achilles injury he suffered early in the 2024 season has put his current value into question, especially looking into a 2025 season that Houston hopes to be pivotal. So, similar to Will Fries, the question with James Daniels comes to whether or not you think he is worth the risk of signing while recovering from a significant injury.
To me, his several years of excellent performance is more than enough to take the risk, even if it means dipping into the piggy bank a little further than some may be comfortable with. For a problem like Houston’s – where they are just one lineman away from having a complete offense – you don’t want a rookie phenom or a grizzled veteran, you need a professional. He is my #1 target this offseason.
And that’s the list! I’m all about the guards coming into the 2025 season. Wide receiver can be considered a weak spot on the offense as well, but I still believe that the left guard spot is the weakest spot on the entire team. Getting to the Super Bowl will require addressing that problem, so we might as well get it out of the way first thing in March! What do you think, though? Would the Texans be right to sign one of the five linemen mentioned above, or would they be better off looking for their answer at left guard in the draft? Or, is there another free agent that has caught your eye? Let us know down in the comments below!
Go Texans!