HOUSTON – University of Minnesota left offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, a consensus All-American selection named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, was drafted by the Texans with the 48th overall pick of the second round after a trade.
The Texans traded the 58th pick of the second round and a third round selection, 99th overall, to the Las Vegas Raiders to draft Ersery.
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| Selection Choices: | Round 2, 2025 | Overall #58 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection Choices: | Round 3+, 2025 | Overall #99; from New York Giants | |
| Las Vegas Trades: | Selection Choice: | Round 2, 2025 | Overall #48; from Miami |
Ersery had visits with the Texans, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and the Vikings.
Ersery was regarded as a potential late first-round draft pick and a prime target for teams in the second round that pass on a tackle early.
Ersery provides a massive, long-armed presence at the line of scrimmage at 6-foot-6, 331 pounds. He plays with heavy hands and quick feet and could also be deployed at right tackle. His timing on double-team blocks and in space both get high marks.
Ersery graded out well against Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter as they matched up one-on-one throughout that game. Ersery did a nice job of preventing Carter from using his superior speed, getting a consistent hand punch and keeping his shoulders square and not losing leverage.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Ersery was named All-Big Ten Conference the past two seasons with honorable-mention notice in his third season for the Golden Gophers.
Ersery ran the 40-yard dash in 5.01 seconds at the NFL scouting combine with an impressive 1.75 10-yard split. He had a 29 1/2 inch vertical leap, a 7.81 three-cone drill and a 9-3 broad jump. He bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times.
Ersery started a dozen games at left tackle for an offense that averaged 26.15 points per game, 115.6 rushing yards per game and 222.15 passing yards per game. According to Pro Football Focus, Ersery gave up just one sack and one quarterback hit in 398 pass blocking snaps.
Ersery started the final 38 games of his career at left tackle.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
