Part of the offseason plan for the Houston Texans was centered around rebuilding their offensive line to protect C.J. Stroud entering Year 3 with younger players who had higher potential. While Houston didn’t go after a first-round linemen during April’s NFL draft, it still might have landed one of the better prospects on Day 2.

Second-round pick Aireontae Ersery– a towering 6-foot-6, 350-plus pound offensive tackle – has been an anchor on the left side of the offensive line and enters the year as potentially the next foundation piece of Houston’s offense. He didn’t miss a beat when shifting over from right tackle in the preseason and already has proven to be the best offensive lineman in the room regarding potential.

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The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue recently raved about Ersery’s upside, naming him as being the one “under-the-radar” players on Houston’s roster. According to her reporting, several executive’s praised the rookie tackle for his attention to detail and technique.

“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.”

In the preseason, Ersery allowed one pressure on 25 pass-blocking snaps in two games. He also graded out as the highest run-blocker on Houston’s offensive line by Pro Football Focus with a 68.7 overall grade.

While Ersery might not be a technically sound as more experienced tackles around him, he has the frame and footwork to win as a pass-protector based on brute strength. Going up against All-Pro defensive ends like Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter in practice is an added bonus to his development, since most rookie tackles won’t even face off against them in live reps on Sundays.

Ersery and the Texans hit the road to take on the Los Angeles Rams in their season opener. Fans and executives could watch an underrated matchup between the former All-Big Ten offensive tackle and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse.

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If Ersery can hold his own there, it could be a great sign of things to come this fall from Houston’s blindside.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans rookie OT Aireontae Ersery earns praise from The Athletic