Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

Height: 6'6
Weight: 330 pounds

Strengths

• Length: Ersery boasts 34 1/8-inch arms, which he uses to tremendous success. He's able to stave off rushers and keep defenders out of his chest with his vines for arms.  

• Play Strength: When Ersery's punch lands, he jolts defenders back and stymies rushers with relative ease. He creates plenty of force at the point of attack and is capable of clearing open rushing lanes. Ersery is quick to anchor as well, and rarely gets driven backwards by power. 

• Awareness: Ersery's feel for the game and ability to sort through stunts and blitzes quickly are testaments to his experience. It's evident that he puts in the work to study his opponents. 

• Footwork: Despite his massive frame, I think Ersery has some of the cleanest passing sets in this entire draft class. He's rarely out of position and rarely oversets, consistently hitting his landmarks with good timing and pace. 

Weaknesses

• Upside: Ersery is a capable athlete, but I don't believe he possesses the tools to be in the upper echelon of NFL tackles. He can stick at tackle without a doubt, but the margin for error gets pretty slim for tackles without elite athleticism, and it'll likely keep him out of that top-tier group of tackles. 

• Use of Hands: While I've been encouraged by Ersery's growth here from 2023 to 2024, Ersery's timing is still off. I want to see him get better at mixing up his strikes and his aiming, as he'll get beat across his face and his hands can get knocked down by savvier rushers. 

• Pad Level: Given Ersery's size and frame, it makes sense that he would play too upright. His pad level being too tall negates some of his play strength advantages. Given his athletic limitations and natural frame, I'm not sure how much he can fix this. 

Player Evaluation

Ersery is a fascinating prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He didn't start playing football until his sophomore year of high school, and he was a defensive convert to tackle. 

His growth year-over-year is encouraging and speaks to his coachability and mentality. Ersery has a naturally gifted skill set and his technique has improved to match his tools, though it still needs further growth. While I don't think he has the tools to be a top-flight NFL tackle, he can be a solid starter at the next level. 

Player Comparison

Terence Steele (Dallas Cowboys)

The length and playstyle drew me into this comp. Much like Ersery, Steele is a terrific run blocker with great length and play strength. However, the two share similar technical lapses in pass protection, particularly with speed rushers on the outside. Steele has turned into a solid right tackle and was handed a five-year deal by the Cowboys, and I view Ersery in much the same lane. 

A to Z Rankings

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #57 overall, #7 offensive tackle

A to Z Draft Grade: 7.80

Draft Projection: Day Two