It’s hard to find good offensive linemen in free agency, and the tackle market makes it clear. But there is a surprisingly high number of good guards available, and this is possibly one of the strongest groups in the entire offseason.
Last week, we had made a list of good value signings in free agency, and Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Mekari was the top guard—his versatility is a big calling card. Yet, he didn’t make the list of top 5 pure interior offensive linemen.
Of the five chosen, four are guards. The exception is Drew Dalman, the Atlanta Falcons’ center who is generating a lot of buzz because of his run blocking abilities.
This is the sixth installment of our series with the top free agents in 2025.
Kevin Zeitler, Detroit Lions
Zeitler was a top 5 guard in PFF grade in 2024, and top 3 in run blocking. It’s rare for offensive linemen this good to hit free agency, but Zeitler has played for five teams throughout his NFL career—Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, and Detroit Lions. He’s had 197 starts. Last year, he allowed five sacks, which is more than the other top guards in football, but his 97.9% efficiency shows that it was more of an outlier.
Teven Jenkins, Chicago Bears
A second-round pick in 2021, Jenkins is a good free agent profile because he’s still young, 26, and entering his second contract. Initially drafted to be a tackle, there was an early impression that he would bust, but he rebuilt his value playing as a left guard.
He played with Justin Fields and Caleb Williams for the Chicago Bears, two tough quarterbacks who hold the ball way too long, but still had decent advanced numbers. He gave up 17 pressures in 2024.
Brandon Scherff, Jacksonville Jaguars
Another highly experienced guard, Scherff has had 140 starts in the NFL. He signed a big free-agent deal with the Jaguars back in 2022 and started all 51 regular season games since. Scherff had problems as a run blocker, but is still a good pass blocker. A potential problem is the lack of versatility, as he’s played only two snaps at any position that is not right guard—two snaps at RT in 2022.
Drew Dalman, Atlanta Falcons
Elite run blocker, Dalman missed some time in 2024 but enters free agency as the best center option. Last year, he also had his best season in terms of pass block efficiency, which gives a potential new team a strong baseline in protection as well. But there’s no mistake about it, the run game is his calling card—and that’s what the Falcons wanted.
Mekhi Becton, Philadelphia Eagles
Becton went through the Philadelphia Eagles’ rehabilitation plan, and it worked perfectly. After years of injuries and bad play for the New York Jets with 1,621 snaps at left tackle and 101 at right tackle, Becton finally was moved inside and played 903 snaps at right guard, winning the Super Bowl as a starter for the Eagles. The pass block was still a relative issue, as he gave up 25 pressures, but the run block was solid. The big question is if he can replicate his success in a worse situation.
