Source: Texans second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery agrees to four-year, $9.211 million deal

HOUSTON – The Texans have agreed to terms on a four-year, $9,211,646 million rookie contract for second-round draft pick Aireontae Ersery, according to a league source.

Ersery’s deal is 80 percent fully guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap, an increase from 71.13 percent fully guaranteed. That includes a $3.39 million signing bonus.

The first three years of his contract are fully guaranteed, including base salaries of $840,000, $1.258 million and $1.677 million. In 2028, $253,804 of his $2.096 million salary is fully guaranteed.

Ersery is a former Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Drafted 48th overall out of the University of Minnesota, Ersery was the last of the Texans’ rookie draft class to agree to terms. When Texans general manager Nick Caserio made wide receiver Jayden Higgins the first second-round draft pick in NFL history to receive a fully guaranteed deal with an $11.7 million four-year contract, it set a negotiating milestone.

That contract caused some delays in the second round, but signings are rapidly progressed across the league.

Towering above his new teammates, Ersery has definitely looked the part of a prototypical offensive tackle during his first NFL practice.

Long-armed, tall, mobile and strong at 6-foot-6, 331 pounds, Ersery is off to a fast start. He is expected to challenge right tackle Blake Fisher for a starting job and has taken first-team snaps at left tackle in relief of veteran starter Cam Robinson as well as Fisher on the right side.

“Ersery, he’s done a great job,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “The biggest thing with Ersery is getting acclimated to learning what it takes to be a pro. I see Ersery, he’s steadily gotten better at the things off the field, of finding his routine, and also on the field, just seeing his footwork, his pad leverage, is getting better, it’s improving.”

A third-team All-American, Ersery allowed just five career sacks, yielding one sack and one quarterback hit during his final college season. He played only three snaps at left guard, and seven snaps at right tackle over the past three years.

Now, Ersery is determined to make an impact as he gets acclimated to the NFL.

While the Texans have experienced blockers who can play left tackle and right tackle in Cam Robinson, Blake Fisher, Tytus Howard and Trent Brown, Ersery is such a talented prospect he’s a prime candidate to quickly lock down a starting job.

“Being a Houston Texan, honestly. I couldn’t be walking into a better situation,” Ersery said. “We were a big culture school at Minnesota and the Texans is the same as well. We talk about swarm mentality, at Minnesota we talked about nekton mentality, always attacking and never full. I take pride in protecting my quarterback and opening holes up for my running back.”

The Texans traded the 58th pick of the second round and a third round selection, 99th overall, to the Las Vegas Raiders to draft Ersery, who was projected as a potential first-round draft pick.

Ersery will remain at tackle as he starts his NFL career. That’s how the Texans view the Kansas City native.

“Adding Ersery through our team through the draft, really liked his tape in college at tackle,” Ryans said. “He played left tackle, so we’ll start him out at tackle and see how he does there. My vision for him was always he can help us at tackle.”

Ersery can play on either side. At his height, though, he’s not regarded as an ideal guard candidate.

“I’m up for whatever they ask me to do, that’s the type of guy I am,” Ersery said. “I’m just here to be a vessel and keep getting better each and every day. We’re going to look up and see where the sun is at when that time comes.”

A former basketball player who caught the eye of the University of Minnesota coaching staff at a football camp at Lindenwood University when he was in high school, Ersery built a rich legacy for the Golden Gophers.

In particular, how he stonewalled Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter last season was an eye-opening performance

“Definitely, but I think he just did what he was capable of doing, like you said,” Minnesota offensive line coach and run game coordinator Brian Callahan said in a telephone interview. “Obviously, Abdul Carter is a great player, and we had to game plan to make sure that we accounted for him. Penn State did a good job of moving him around and such, but there was plenty of times that they went head-to-head, and, I definitely feel like that Aireantae more than held his own against him.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Ivan Prosvetov Eyes Flames’ Starting Role, Ready For McDavid