Aireontae Ersery Draws Comparison to Eagles’ Offensive Lineman

NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal has watched Minnesota Gophers’ left tackle Aireontae Ersery ⎯and compares him to a starting offensive lineman who played for the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.

Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery has been a hot topic of draft discussion, with many within the NFL Draft Community mocking the Gophers’ prospect to go in the first round.

Newsday, USA Today, Pro Football Network, NBC Sports Boston, Yahoo, CBS, The Athletic, 33rd Team, SI, Draftwire, Fox Sports, The Draft Network, and Bleacher Report have all put a first-round projection on Ersery since 2025 began.

Don’t get me wrong, Ersery’s film was fun to watch, but I walked away feeling cautiously optimistic.

I like him, but I’m not excited enough to put that kind of a grade on him.

Background

Ersery was a 3-star recruit out of high school and committed to Minnesota in 2019 (247Sports).

He has started the final 38 games in his college career according to his school’s website. On that site, they also point out that Ersery didn’t start playing football until his junior year in high school.

#69 Aireontae Ersery 6-foot-6, 330 pounds 

Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Second-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 44.6% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of February 12, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film evaluated: North Carolina, Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Aggressive Style

Ersery’s reminds me of a wrestler. He treats every rep as a hardcore street fight that he needs to win.

This prospect is big, strong, and powerful. These are some of the best traits for the position. Ersery is willing to get his nose dirty, as he’s always diving into and pushing piles. There’s no give-up in him, and even when he gets beat, HE IS STILL FIGHTING. He’s constantly on his train tracks, trudging forward. He just pushes guys around and makes it look easy.

I thought he played a great game against Penn State Edge Abdul Carter.

Out of Control

Ersery has a lack of technique and a tendency to spin way out of control on some plays. This is concerning.

First off, his footwork is lackluster. He constantly fails to take hard, violent steps backward into the pocket while in pass protection. His pass-sets are more of a shuffle that allows him to get beat by lesser talented edge rushers.

Secondly, Ersery looks… confused (low football IQ). I can’t think of a better way to put it. I found myself constantly questioning, “Does this guy know what’s going on?” He often looked overwhelmed, and like he didn’t know what his assignment was. If this is happening in college, what’s going to happen in the NFL where the game moves faster, the play calls are more complicated, and the players are stronger?

Pass Pro vs. Run Blocking

Ersery appeared to be a better run blocker than a pass blocker. I like him better in this role. While run blocking, he keeps his head down and pushes the defender as far away from the ball carrier as possible. He’s more in control. On the contrary, Ersery struggles to set while pass blocking and allows edge rushers to quickly run around him.

Ten Adjectives

Aggressive. Powerful. Determined. Chaotic. Overwhelmed. Confident. Physical. Unpolished. Tenacious. Unrefined.

NFL Projections

Kansas City Chiefs

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

Pro Comp: Mekhi Becton

Becton is the former first-round pick who flopped at offensive tackle with the New York Jets but then resurrected his career at guard with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Final Thoughts

I just can’t bring myself to put a big grade on Ersery.

He’s not polished enough for that.

Is a move to guard in his future ⎯like with what happened with Becton? That remains to be seen.

How do I like this will play out?

Ersery will be a middling starting tackle in the NFL.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.