Texans Rookie Quickly Making Strong First Impression

Over the course of their offseason work, the Houston Texans made some drastic changes on their offensive line to ensure that their quarterback C.J. Stroud could have a cleaner, more successful year of protection after a 2024 filled with disarray upfront.

One of the moves the Texans made to make that happen was the selection of second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery– the towering 6-foot-6, 350-plus pound tackle who entered as a hopeful sturdy option on the outside of the offensive line for years to come, and a key to help Stroud find improved security in the pocket.

And while the initial expectation for the Texans' tackle centered upon Ersery being more of a developmental tackle who would take time to establish himself at the next level, it seems like the rookie has already hinted that his development process is ahead of schedule.

Following the motions of camp and preseason, The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue recently raved about Ersery as being the one "under-the-radar" player of note on Houston's roster, even going on to mention one anonymous executive's praise of the rookie tackle.

"Ersery, a second-rounder this spring, was sometimes considered a bit more of a project/developmental player coming out of Minnesota, but he impressed with his size and length in the preseason — and goodness knows, quarterback C.J. Stroud needs better protection," Rodrigue wrote. "A senior NFC executive called him a 'big man with good length, strength, but average feet and recovery. More of a mauler (and) speed rushers may give him fits early. Duo/power/gap (run) scheme player.”

Ersery's accelerated development comes at a great time for the Texans, as while this offensive line does enter the season looking completely different from what it did through 2024, there are still multiple questions about whether they can truly be a stable unit upfront for Stroud. Having a stud tackle to man the outside certainly helps alleviate those concerns a bit.

Ersery might not be as technically strong as more experienced tackles around him, but he has the otherworldly size to counter that in year one. In due time, those details can soon become even more polished as he gets extended reps against top talent, and make his selection at pick 48 in April's draft look even wiser.