HOUSTON – North Dakota State All-American offensive tackle Grey Zabel, one of the highest graded blockers in college football, visited the Texans, according to a league source.
A projected first-round draft pick, Zabel also has a visit with the Detroit Lions.
Recommended Videos
Zabel excelled at the Senior Bowl all-star game where the 6-foot-6, 312-pounder stonewalled pass rushers in drills.
The Pierre, South Dakota native had a 36 1/2 inch vertical lap, a 9-3 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times at the NFL scouting combine.
Zabel has played all over the offensive line, including left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle.
A first-team All-American and All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, he started every game at left tackle for the national champions.
“I think the mindset is to come in and learn as much as possible,” Zabel said at the combine. “There’s definitely a growth period going from college to the NFL, so learning from the vets and developing my game is important. At the same time, the competitor in me wants to get out there and play as soon as possible. You never know how long you’ll get to play this game, so I want to take every opportunity to get on the field and contribute
“The biggest thing is understanding the different responsibilities depending on which hand you have down, which stance you’re in, and even if you have to snap the football. You never know where a team might need you in any given week, so just being the best football player you can be is the most important thing.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com