The Houston Texans need playmakers at receiver.
They also need stability on the offensive line after allowing 54 sacks in 2024 against quarterback C.J. Stroud.
While Houston could add a lineman or two in free agency next month, the 2025 NFL draft is a better place for general manager Nick Caserio to flex his scouting prowess and find more young talent on rookie deals.
If the Texans were to go with a lineman, it’s best to target an offensive guard with proven production inside. In the new mock draft from Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman, Houston ensures stability with perhaps the best guard in the class by selecting Alabama’s Tyler Booker with the No. 25 pick.
Interior protection for C.J. Stroud is the Texans’ biggest need, and they address that by selecting Booker. He finished 2024 with the fifth-highest PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in the FBS and allowed just two sacks in his Alabama career.
While the Texans could pivot toward the defensive line in Round 1, their inability to secure a long-term left guard makes Booker’s selection intriguing. The junior comes from an offense built on a ground game emphasis under both Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer.
Keep in mind that Booker is a true guard, having spent the past three seasons honing in on his craft during his time in Tuscaloosa. Most guards have started out at tackle during their college days before shifting inside.
Alabama Guard Tyler Booker (#52) is an easy 1st round grade and my OG1 in this draft class
-immovable anchor
-patient hands
-Vice grip strength
-Strong displacer in the run game
-hits like a freight train on down blocks pic.twitter.com/lkGvJzSutA— Drew (@IronCityFilm) February 23, 2025
DeMeco Ryans, an Alabama alum, has a keen sense for adding players with potential in pass protection.
“I want to see that grit. I want to see that toughness, that nastiness of how guys are finishing their blocks, what type of leaders these guys are, how passionate they are about football,” Ryans said Tuesday at the NFL combine. “That’s very important to me when it comes to the offensive linemen.”
Booker’s two sacks allowed in over 1,2000 snaps is not only enticing, but likely a major selling point for Houston to make him the pick if he falls far enough for the move.