Houston Texans Top Breakout Candidate in 2026
Newsweek · C · trust 24/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. When the Houston Texans traded away five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil last offseason, it left a massive void on the blind side of C.J. Stroud, who'd been sacked 52 times in 2024, among the highest marks in the NFL . Houston's answer was a rookie, second-round pick Aireontae Ersery.
Ersery was a three-year starter at Minnesota, where he earned first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors as a senior in 2024. Despite being an early Day 2 pick, it was a bold bet to have Ersery replace Tunsil, and yet by Week 1, he had already won the starting job.
But the transition from college star to NFL starter came with growing pains. He started 16 of 17 games, and finished with an overall PFF grade of 59.3 , which ranked 68th of 89 qualified tackles. His 64.9 pass-blocking grade ranked 56th, and his 51.8 run-blocking grade was 78th. He also allowed 43 total pressures, 11 hits, seven sacks, and was flagged for 11 penalties over the course of the year.
That said, Ersery improved every week as a first-year player holding down one of the most difficult positions in sports, and he's already earned high praise from members of the Texans coaching staff and players.
"Definitely a lot of improvement," said Texans Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter . "He’s able to get to his spot quicker, shoot his hands, have better positioning with his hands and his eyes. He goes out there, and he tries to execute. It’s really important to him. He likes feedback. He’s definitely improved from last year."
It probably doesn't hurt that he's squaring off against Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., two of the league's premier pass rushers, on a daily basis in practice.
Now entering his second season in Houston, Ersery has a real chance to take over the "Tunsil role" and become one of the league's premier left tackles.
Wide receiver Jayden Higgins and running back Woody Marks are both popular breakout picks after strong rookie seasons. But both situations are hard to predict.
The Texans brought in David Montgomery, who ate up a lot of Jahmyr Gibbs snaps in Detroit, and the wide receiver room feels surprisingly deep, with Higgins, Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, a healthy Tank Dell, and incoming rookie Lewis Bond. That doesn't even include tight ends Dalton Schultz, Foster Moreau, and second-round rookie Marlin Klein.
With so many different weapons, a more balanced offense feels likely, and it probably wouldn't be the worst approach either, with Stroud needing to have a big year. But the player most responsible for keeping Stroud upright and off his back is Ersery.
If he takes the expected Year 2 leap, working alongside a more experienced supporting cast and offensive coordinator Nick Caley in his second season calling plays, the Texans' entire offensive ceiling rises with him.
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