Texans rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery opens eyes with blocking skills, solid debuts for Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel

MINNEAPOLIS – Stonewalling pass rushers, Texans rookie offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery delivered an encouraging debut in his first NFL game.

Back at his natural left tackle position and returning to his college stomping grounds, Ersery created plenty of time in the pocket for quarterback Davis Mills. Mills wasn’t sacked as he engineered a touchdown drive capped by his pass to wide receiver Braxton Berrios for the score.

It was a successful start for Ersery as he opened up some big holes for running back Dare Ogunbowale, who averaged 5.8 yards per run with a lot of his 29 yards running behind the second-round draft pick and former University of Minnesota Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

“I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m in the NFL now,’ it was such a quick transition,” said Ersery, who had a 77.7 pass blocking grade per Pro Football Focus analytic, regarding his conversation with veteran guard Tytus Howard. “He was like, ‘Man, that’s usually how it, just keep going, keep the ball rolling and just continue to keep getting better as a rookie.”

At 6-foot-6, 331 pounds with 5.01 speed in the 40-yard dash, Ersery has rare size and mobility.

Ersery is off to a positive start with the Texans as part of an overhauled offensive line. Until Cam Robinson returns from a leg injury, Ersery is the left tackle. He’s listed as the first-team right tackle ahead of Blake Fisher, who had a false start in the game and allowed some pressures.

Ersery is clearly going to be a starter at one of the tackle spots to open the season against the Los Angeles Rams.

“It feels good, man,” Ersery said. “I can finally say I played some snaps in the NFL. We’ve been hitting each other for like two weeks in camp, so to hit somebody else definitely feels good.”

As for what’s next for the Kansas City native, just keep stacking days like Saturday and keep improving.

“Just keep workin,’” he said. “Ain’t really did anything. We still got a long way to go."

Rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins is an immediate starter for the Texans.

Drafted 34th overall and signed to a fully guaranteed $11.7824 million contract that established an NFL negotiating milestone for a second-round pick, Higgins looked the part in his first game action as a professional.

The former Iowa State standout caught both passes thrown to him for eight yards. There wasn’t an opportunity to make a big play, but Higgins did his job.

“I think it was good,” Higgins said. “It was really good to be able to come here and kind of see like the routine that we have as far as pregame and kind of just the way that we operate here. So I know I’ll be ready to go make my routine.

“Honestly man, it felt like it wasn’t even real out there. It kind of just felt like, you know just another day at practice really. But once I really delved into the moment, it was really awesome.

College teammate and good friend Jaylin Noel had a similar experience to Higgins.

He caught two passes thrown to him for 16 yards. That included going in motion and turning a short reception into a first down with strong run-after-the catch ability on display.

“It was great,” Noel said. “Obviously a dream come true to be able to get out there on the field and feel my dreams of playing in my first NFL game. It was a lot of fun. I think it was cool, the pace of the game obviously a little faster each level you go, so seeing how that went to moving faster.

“To go against a defense like that that schemes up and disguises things, it was good to get that look out there in the first game. A lot of joy, a lot of happiness, some nerves. I get nervous for any game, but that just tells you I’m ready to go.”

Rookie cornerback Jaylin Smith, a third-round draft pick from USC, had three tackles in his first NFL game. He lined up as an outside corner with the starters with All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. and second-year corner Kamari Lassiter not dressed.

The mentoring from Stingley and second-year safety Calen Bullock, a former USC teammate, is significant for Smith.

“Derek is like my OG man, my big brother man, somebody that took me in and just embraced me as a brother, as a player, as person, as a friend man just as overall human being man, he just took me in and it’s been great,” Smith said. “Calen, that’s been my brother since I’ve been 17 years old, so just playing with him and playing that back end, just a lot of experience. Elite athleticism, it’s just great to just take notes.”

Smith was able to keep pace with the Vikings’ wide receivers. It wasn’t a standout performance, but he tackled well and was around the football.

“I wouldn’t say different, I’d just say the game is a little faster,” Smith said. “I think you just gotta adapt to the game, to the speed of the game. I think it’s just, you know, it’s gonna ultimately settle you in.”

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