Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) reacts after a play during the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Will Anderson Jr. Makes Strong Statement on Texans Rookie

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated May 28, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Houston Texans brought in an assortment of intriguing rookies on both sides of the ball during this year's draft to give this team a nice boost of young talent for the season ahead.

However, one certain name among the Texans' rookie class has managed to capture the attention of edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. early on in Houston's OTAs: second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery.

During the Texans' first day of OTAs, Anderson shared some of his thoughts on Houston's rookie tackle, crediting not only the overwhelming size he's seen from him at 6-foot-6, 330-plus pounds, but also some underrated athletic ability.

"He's a large human being, man," Anderson said. "I think he's going to be really good for us. I'm happy he's here. Just seeing him out there today, going against our guys. Very athletic, can move for a big guy, can bend, and I'm excited to see what he does, and to just keep going against him. As Coach always says, iron sharpens iron."

Ersery was brought in as the Texans' 58th-overall pick as a major addition to the Texans' offensive line, one that saw a bit of turbulence across the 2024 campaign. The Minnesota product comes in as a hopeful plug to those worries on the outside of the line, and has the standout positional size that even catches the attention from one of the best edge rushers in the game.

Anderson will tend to get familiar with Ersery over the coming weeks and months in the trenches, and is sure to have his fair share of battles in the days leading up to Sunday across this season and further.

Ersery looks to be a long-term fixture of this Texans offensive line for years to come, and Anderson seems more than ready to compete in practice against him.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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