As the first few days of free agency rolled on, it seemed possible and on Wednesday it happened. Kevin Zeitler, who was a free agent steal for the Detroit Lions in 2024, is gone to the Tennessee Titans on a reported one-year, $9 million deal.
Zeitler is not going to be easy to replace. He was Pro Football Focus' third-highest graded guard last season, with the second-best run blocking grade at the position. It's hard to believe the Lions wouldn't have matched or exceeded the Titans' offer, and as Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network reminded the veteran guard was interested in returning to Detroit.
In theory, the Lions still have their two starting guards for next season. Graham Glasgow is coming off a rough season at left guard, as he moved to accommodate the signing of Zeitler. Christian Mahogany's rookie season was derailed early by an illness, but he started a game at each guard spot later in the season and looked good. A draft pick could be added to the mix, to compete with Glasgow or fill one of the starting guard spots. It's also plausible Mahogany is not deemed ready to start.
If the Lions go the free agent route to replace Zeitler, here are some options who should be on the radar.
5 free agent guards the Lions could sign to replace Kevin Zeitler
5. Will Hernandez
At the NFL Combine, out of nowhere, general manager Brad Holmes revealed he was scouting an Arizona Cardinals offensive free agent as he reviewed the tape from the Lions' Week 3 game last season.
"I was looking at our game at Arizona in Week 3. We're looking at a free agent on the offensive side of the ball", Holmes said.
The Lions' signing of former Cardinals' defensive tackle Roy Lopez indicates it wasn't just Arizona's offensive players Holmes and the front office was looking at.
Hernandez missed the final 12 games of last season due to a knee injury, but he had the highest grades of his career from Pro Football Focus both overall (69.3) and as a run blocker (66.0). In his first two seasons as a Cardinal, PFF graded him in the top-30 among guards. He has been a right guard lately, but he has started at both guard spots in his career.
As long as he checks out medically, or is at least making good progress in his recovery from that knee injury, Hernandez lines up as a potential bargain signing.
Trystan Colon, who filled in for Hernandez last season and earned a top-20 overall grade from PFF, deserves a mention here too.
4. Shaq Mason
The Houston Texans offensive line was not good last season, but their plan to overhaul things has been odd/unclear to this point. The 31-year old Mason was cut after posting the worst overall Pro Football Focus grade of his career, but he was still top-50 at the position (No. 47) with a top-40 pass blocking grade among guards.
Mason has been a right guard since playing the left side during his rookie season, and he is most likely a short-term stopgap to replace Zeitler or an experienced contingency plan behind Mahogany there.
3. Teven Jenkins
The Chicago Bears have overhauled their interior offensive line, leaving Jenkins (PFF's 14th-highest graded guard last season) available with the subsequent waves of free agency upon us. He played left tackle as a rookie in 2021, then right guard for two seasons before moving to left guard last year and having his best year.
It's worth wondering if Jenkins' asking price has played a role in his still being available. But he is also one of the top offensive lineman available, and he's young enough (27) to be a long-term solution for someone. If nothing else, the Lions have seen him plenty within the NFC North and as Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire noted he is a fit for Detroit's run scheme.
2. Mekhi Becton
Becton resurrected his career with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, as he proved to be better-suited to playing guard. Reports suggested he wants to return to Philadelphia, but that may be shifting. On his podcast this week, ESPN's Adam Schefter strongly hinted the Eagles will be losing Becton.
So there's an opportunity for other teams to add the former first-round pick, with one possible suitor (the Bengals) seemingly eliminated, and the Lions have a very similar situation to the one he's set to leave in Philadelphia (one of the best offensive lines in the league, a top offensive line coach).
1. Brandon Scherff
Scherff's best days, when he earned five Pro Bowl nods over seven seasons with Washington, are behind him. But he started every game over the last three seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he especially remains a top-notch pass protector (78.7 and 74.5 pass blocking grades from PFF over the last two seasons, with a total of two sacks allowed over that span; both in 2023).
We've seen what interior pressure does to Jared Goff, so inviting any noticeable drop-off in that area is not an option for the Lions. Scherff is on the older side (33), but he is the No. 1 possible pivot from Zeitler until further notice.
