Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Ersery was a three-star recruit from Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Mo. in the class of 2020

Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery is one of my favorite offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft. I like his tape better than many of the other more applauded tackle prospects in the class. Ersery brings excellent power to the table and has had eye-catching success in college against future NFL players.

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Aireontae Ersery, LT Minnesota: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year redshirt senior left tackle from Kansas City, Mo.

Background: Ersery was a three-star recruit from Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Mo. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 967 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 928 for On3.com. Ersery was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 74 grade out of 100. He didn’t begin playing football until he was a freshman in high school. Ersery played on offense and defense for Ruskin. His athletic background includes AAU basketball, dance, high school wrestling, and high school shot put and discus.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2023 Second Team All-Big Ten

Pros: Cut down on penalties in 2023, took a handful of snaps at RT in 2020, massive/thick arms, thick upper half, maximizes arm length to lock out defenders, channels great power through hands, nice flashes of pop in his hands, quick to land the first punch with heavy hands, jump sets to take the air out of the pass rush, gains good depth and width in initial kick slide, long horizontal strides cover ground quickly up the arc, range to work the whole arc, upper body size helps to stall bull rushes and long-arms, snatch trap vs. JT Tuimoloau (2023), put Kaimon Rucker in the dirt a few times (2023), throwing defenders around like children vs. Michigan State (2023), pancake creator, powerful leg drive, arm length and grip strength allows him to strain and finish, took Kenneth Grant for a ride with a long-arm (2023), no issues exerting influence on OLBs on run game, massive people mover on down blocks, firm inside hand placement helps drive defenders toward the sideline in the run game, keeps pad level low and explodes off the line in short yardage situations

Cons: Seven penalties in 2022, has not played on special teams, very high-cut frame, lower body doesn’t match upper body’s thickness, late off the line a few times, gets caught high and struggles to sink and anchor vs. speed to power, gave up a sack to Josaiah Stewart speed to power (2023), leaning and lunging is common in pass pro, punished for oversetting, lateral agility prevents timely re-directing to close B-gap, B-gap counters are big issues, explosive rushers can slip his jump set for easy pressure, hand usage and activity need to be refined, two-handed punches could get him in trouble, needs more independent hand usage, late to recognize and address stunts, leaning in run game leads to him falling on some blocks because of balance, overshoots second level targets, Mason Graham dusted him with a swim move in the run game (2023)

Overview: Ersery took roughly 75 snaps at right tackle in 2020, but he has almost exclusively lined up at left tackle during his college career. He significantly cut down on his penalties this past year, bringing the number from seven in 2022 down to just three in 2023. Ersery has a high-cut build with a lower half that doesn’t match the same thickness as his upper frame. His upper body features massive arms and is thick throughout. Ersery maximizes his arm length to lock out defenders and keep them clear of his frame. He channels power through his hands and packs good pop on contact. The fifth-year redshirt senior quickly lands the first punch in pass protection. He mixes in jump sets to take the air out of the pass rush and keep defenders honest. Ersery gains good depth and width with his initial kick slide and uses his long horizontal strides to cover the full arc. His upper body’s sheer size helps him sit on and stall bull rushes or long-arm moves. Ersery is guilty of being late off the line and gets caught high in his stance, which prevents him from sinking and anchoring against speed to power. Michigan’s Josaiah Stewart beat Ersery for a sack with speed to power in 2023, but other Michigan defenders, like Jaylen Harrell, made no headway against the left tackle. The All-Big Ten selection leans and lunges frequently in pass protection. Defenders punish him for oversetting because he lacks the lateral agility to redirect and close the B-gap. Ersery must refine his hand usage and get away from his reliance on a two-handed punch. More independent hand usage will really expand his arsenal. He already developed a snatch trap that he deployed against JT Tuimoloau (2023). Ersery’s raw power was enough to completely overwhelm Kaimon Rucker and put the North Carolina sack artist in the dirt (2023). Ersery is late to recognize and address stunts consistently. The Missouri native’s power takes off in the run game. He tossed Michigan State defenders around left and right in 2023 and is always serving up pancakes. Ersery’s leg drive is powerful, and his arm length and grip strength help him strain and finish blocks. He even took Michigan’s Kenneth Grant for a ride with an offensive long-arm move (2023). The former three-star recruit uses firm inside hand placement to turn and drive defenders toward the sideline on run plays flowing horizontally. He maintains a low pad level and explodes off the line in short yardage situations to create displacement. Ersery gets caught leaning on run blocks and occasionally falls off his targets. He overshoots second level targets in space.

Overall, Ersery’s high-cut frame and bad habits could limit his long-term upside in pass protection, but his long arms, excellent power, and success against NFL-caliber players suggest he can develop into an impact starter at the next level. Ersery’s best projection is to an offensive scheme that places a premium on power up front and running between the tackles.

Role & Scheme Fit: Left or right tackle in an inside zone or gap scheme

Round Grade: Second Round - Top 50

Size: 6'6", 325 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 05-13-24