The Houston Texans needed to upgrade their offensive line this offseason and they did a majority of the lifting during the free agent period.
General manager Nick Caserio took a sledgehammer to the unit when he traded Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders and former first-round pick Kenyon Green to the Philadelphia Eagles. He tried to patch those holes by acquiring Ed Ingram from the Minnesota Vikings and signing Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson. The job appeared to be done until the Texans entered the NFL Draft.
Houston made its first draft investment in the offensive line on Friday night. While the selection is a projected project, it puts one of Caserio’s signings on thin ice and could spawn an interesting battle during training camp.
Texans Addition Trent Brown on Thin Ice After Aireontae Ersery Pick in NFL Draft
One of the moves that the Texans made this offseason was signing offensive tackle Trent Brown. The 32-year-old had a previous relationship with Caserio after he was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the New England Patriots during the 2018 NFL Draft. His first season with New England turned out to be a good one as he started all 16 games at left tackle to help the Patriots win the Super Bowl and Brown cashed in by signing a four-year, $66 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.
But after a Pro Bowl appearance in his first season with the Raiders, he was released after his second year and re-joined the Patriots. Brown started at right tackle for New England in 2022 but has missed large chunks of the 2023 season and last season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Brown has been solid when on the field, posting an 80.2 overall Pro Football Focus grade in 2023 and a 65.2 PFF grade last season. But the Texans’ wouldn’t have been smart to rely on Brown with a one-year, $2.35 million contract, prompting the selection of Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery.
Ersery was listed as the No. 5 offensive tackle in this draft according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. The Minnesota alum has plenty of length with an 80 ⅞” wingspan and has strength with 25 reps on the bench press during the NFL Scouting Combine. While his 4.82-second time in the shuttle drill also shows his movement, he needs to work on some of the technical aspects such as his timing and angles along with overall consistency. Brugler also hinted that it could be “a bumpy ride” for Ersery early but he has the potential of a starting offensive tackle.
This is bad news for Brown. Robinson's one-year, $12 million contract suggests he’ll be Houston’s starting left tackle no matter what in 2025. 2024 second-round pick Trent Fisher is currently projected to start for the Texans at right tackle but Brown was supposed to be depth and could be left battling for a roster spot. If Ersery shows his potential, Brown could become expendable.