What’s the status of the Houston Texans’ offensive line? Even the staff might not know who will end up being the starting five by the time Week 1 rolls around since Saturday marked the fourth new line change since the start of training camp.
One thing is certain based on his role with the first-team offense: Rookie Aireontae Ersery is going to start. Will it be at left tackle? Perhaps. Right tackle? More likely. Even if that’s up for debate, his impact on the offensive line will be critical to the team’s success this upcoming season.
“He’s done a really good job of being able to have a seamless transition of going left to right,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He does a really good job of playing with great balance, great footwork and that allows him to be in good position. He has really long arms. It’s just a matter of him trying to get as many reps as possible so the game can slow down. But, from a physical standpoint, he has the tools and what it takes to be a tackle in this league.”
Saturday was far from a stellar showcase on the offensive line as C.J. Stroud was consistently under pressure against Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Once again, Ryans elected to make another switch to the starting five, sending Jaylon Thomas out to start at left guard in place of Laken Tomlinson.
That’s expected. Ryans said throughout the training camp that the offensive line would see constant change and mix-ups to figure out which look was the most promising. That includes Ersery, who has now spent two practices with the 1s at left tackle and one practice on the right side.
There’s a difference between roles. As veteran Tytus Howard puts it, everything is backwards depending on the side, so learning one assignment is like learning it in reverse. After playing four positions since 2019, Howard has been the one offering up the most advice.
“If you know what you’ve got to do, the rest is going to take care of itself. He’s more than athletic enough to play left tackle and right tackle. It’s just getting up there and knowing what he’s got to do right away, so he’s not thinking so much. I think he’s been doing a fantastic job on it. He’s having a tremendous camp so far and he’s only going to get better.”
Drafted out of Minnesota with the 48th overall pick, the Texans believe Ersery could be special. It was reported that Houston loved his tape so much that it tried to move up into the late-30s via a trade with New England to select him a dozen spots higher.
New offensive coordinator Nick Caley has been pleased with Ersery’s transition from the early stages of camp, but it’s hard to gauge how much he’s progressed without pads on. This week’s worth of practice will serve as a moment where Ersery could separate himself as the top tackle on the roster.
If he’s not there, Howard expects the 6-foot-8 young gun to ask questions on how he must improve to turn that mission into a reality.
“He’s a guy that likes to learn from the older guys and the coaches and try to apply that to practice,” Howard said. “I’m just excited to be his teammate.”