Texans' Will Anderson Jr. Shocked By Rookie's Early Impact

The Houston Texans are only a couple of weeks away from their regular season kickoff, and there seems to be one rookie in the building turning some heads early as to what he could bring to this unit for the year ahead.

That player is none other than the Texans' 48th-overall pick in the second round of April's draft, Aireontae Ersery, who comes in as a likely day one starter on this new and improved offensive line, and perhaps a key to Houston getting their protection upfront right following a campaign of dysfunction.

And for Texans star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., Ersery has been the one rookie on the roster who's made his presence felt throughout practice in preseason in a major way–– with Anderson noting he's been "really shocked" by what he's seen from the first-year tackle in an interview during Houston's preseason matchup vs. the Detroit Lions.

"Tae, man, he has really shocked me a lot," Anderson said of Ersery. "His mindset as a rookie. There’s not a lot of guys like that. He wants to be great. He wants to get better every day. He stays after practice with me and Danielle. You just see the grit, the grime in his game, and he has all the tools to be a great offensive lineman in this league.”

With that credit coming from one of the top defenders on the Texans roster in Anderson Jr., it could be a great sign of things to come as early as his first year in the league.

Ersery's rise comes at a perfect time for the Texans, too. Especially with tackle Cam Robinson currently dealing with an injury hangup to keep him sidelined for the meantime, the rookie tackle has stepped up not just to be a serviceable piece to fill in on the outside of this offensive line, but maybe even a catalyst to help Houston's protection level out for 2025.