logo
New Orleans Saints host Minnesota offensive tackle for their third official 30 visit

New Orleans Saints host Minnesota offensive tackle for their third official 30 visit

USA Today25-03-2025
New Orleans Saints host Minnesota offensive tackle for their third official 30 visit
It's been a bit of a whirlwind for the New Orleans Saints, but that's always the case leading up to the NFL draft. In 2025 they've been busy hosting prospects at the team facility in Metairie while sending out scouts and coaches to pro days around the country. Every team speaks with almost every prospect by the time the draft begins in late April, but teams are allowed to host 30 prospects on official visits at their headquarters for more time and attention.
And the Saints got in early with one of this year's most popular players. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reports the Saints brought in Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery early in March, as did the Kansas City Chiefs; Wolfe adds that Ersery has scheduled more official 30 visits with six other teams leading up through the April 16 deadline. He'll be racking up his frequent flyer miles.
So what makes Ersery so intriguing? He's a rare athlete for his size at 6-foot-6 and 331 pounds with a 9.37 Relative Athletic Score (which works on a scale of 1 to 10), and having started three years at left tackle for the Golden Gophers. While he has earned a reputation for throwing his weight around in the run game, he also had his best season in pass protection last year -- Pro Football Focus charting found that Ersery only allowed one sack on a career-high 419 reps in pass pro.
Ersery is a projected first-round pick who might still be on the board when the Saints make their second-round choice at No. 40, or else be a target in a possible trade up the board. He's indicated that he'd like to stay at tackle than move inside to guard, so maybe this visit was aimed at figuring out where he could play his best football.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers
Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers

Yahoo

time26 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers

49ers Raiders Football LAS VEGAS (AP) — Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty proved he could deliver hits and absorb them at the NFL level, rushing for a bruising 33 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in Las Vegas' 22-19 preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Jake Moody made a 59-yard field goal as time expired for the 49ers (1-1). He also converted a 44-yarder with 37 seconds remaining to tie the game, and then Jaylen Mahoney intercepted Raiders quarterback Cam Miller to set up the winner. Moody made 5 of 6 field goals while Daniel Carlson made all four of his tries for the Raiders (0-1-1). Brock Purdy played the first series for the 49ers, which ended in a field goal. He was 5 of 7 for 66 yards. Backup Mac Jones completed 13 of 16 passes for 135 yards with an interception, and former Raider Carter Bradley led the tying and winning drives and finished 8 of 13 for 96 yards. Star running back Christian McCaffrey did not play for the 49ers. Geno Smith completed 6 of 8 passes for 55 yards as the Raiders' first-team offense played the first two series. The Raiders scored 10 points on those drives. Aidan O'Connell guided the team into the fourth quarter, finishing 15 of 23 for 138 yards with an interception. Jeanty was known for his tackle-breaking ability at Boise State, where he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season, and he showed that skill against the 49ers. He took a shot to his right shoulder from 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune in the first quarter and went into the medical tent. Jeanty emerged from the tent and on the next series ran over San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on his way to 13-yard gain. Jeanty topped off the drive by powering his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line. Jeanty, the sixth pick in the NFL draft, bounced back from an underwhelming performance in his first preseason game. He had minus-1 yard on three carries in a 23-23 tie at Seattle on Aug. 7. More Niners injures San Francisco lost three offensive players to injuries in the first half, including starting right guard Dominick Puni, who injured his knee while blocking on a field goal. Running back Corey Kiner was carted off after injuring an ankle and running back Patrick Taylor Jr. hurt a shoulder. The 49ers have already experienced plenty of injuries — particularly at wide receiver — in the run-up to the season. They entered the game without roughly 20 players. GOAT in the building Tom Brady attended the game, making his latest appearance as a Raiders minority owner. He also attended a practice and a mock game two weeks ago. He entered Allegiant Stadium wearing a white Raiders jacket and black pants. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback wasn't the only notable ex-player in the stadium. Eight Hall of Famers — including Marcus Allen, Fred Biletnikoff and Tim Brown — were among several former Raiders given the silver-carpet treatment. Up next 49ers: Host the Los Angeles Chargers next Saturday. Raiders: Visit Arizona next Saturday. ___ AP NFL: Solve the daily Crossword

Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers
Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers

Associated Press

time26 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty proved he could deliver hits and absorb them at the NFL level, rushing for a bruising 33 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in Las Vegas' 22-19 preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Jake Moody made a 59-yard field goal as time expired for the 49ers (1-1). He also converted a 44-yarder with 37 seconds remaining to tie the game, and then Jaylen Mahoney intercepted Raiders quarterback Cam Miller to set up the winner. Moody made 5 of 6 field goals while Daniel Carlson made all four of his tries for the Raiders (0-1-1). Brock Purdy played the first series for the 49ers, which ended in a field goal. He was 5 of 7 for 66 yards. Backup Mac Jones completed 13 of 16 passes for 135 yards with an interception, and former Raider Carter Bradley led the tying and winning drives and finished 8 of 13 for 96 yards. Star running back Christian McCaffrey did not play for the 49ers. Geno Smith completed 6 of 8 passes for 55 yards as the Raiders' first-team offense played the first two series. The Raiders scored 10 points on those drives. Aidan O'Connell guided the team into the fourth quarter, finishing 15 of 23 for 138 yards with an interception. Jeanty was known for his tackle-breaking ability at Boise State, where he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season, and he showed that skill against the 49ers. He took a shot to his right shoulder from 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune in the first quarter and went into the medical tent. Jeanty emerged from the tent and on the next series ran over San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on his way to 13-yard gain. Jeanty topped off the drive by powering his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line. Jeanty, the sixth pick in the NFL draft, bounced back from an underwhelming performance in his first preseason game. He had minus-1 yard on three carries in a 23-23 tie at Seattle on Aug. 7. More Niners injures San Francisco lost three offensive players to injuries in the first half, including starting right guard Dominick Puni, who injured his knee while blocking on a field goal. Running back Corey Kiner was carted off after injuring an ankle and running back Patrick Taylor Jr. hurt a shoulder. The 49ers have already experienced plenty of injuries — particularly at wide receiver — in the run-up to the season. They entered the game without roughly 20 players. GOAT in the building Tom Brady attended the game, making his latest appearance as a Raiders minority owner. He also attended a practice and a mock game two weeks ago. He entered Allegiant Stadium wearing a white Raiders jacket and black pants. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback wasn't the only notable ex-player in the stadium. Eight Hall of Famers — including Marcus Allen, Fred Biletnikoff and Tim Brown — were among several former Raiders given the silver-carpet treatment. Up next 49ers: Host the Los Angeles Chargers next Saturday. Raiders: Visit Arizona next Saturday. ___ AP NFL:

ESPN will ‘no longer proceed' with Spike Lee's Colin Kaepernick docuseries: ‘It's not coming out'
ESPN will ‘no longer proceed' with Spike Lee's Colin Kaepernick docuseries: ‘It's not coming out'

New York Post

time27 minutes ago

  • New York Post

ESPN will ‘no longer proceed' with Spike Lee's Colin Kaepernick docuseries: ‘It's not coming out'

Director Spike Lee's multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said. 'ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,' ESPN said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday. 'Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.' Advertisement 3 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Spike Lee attends Harold and Carole Pump Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebrity Dinner at The Beverly Hilton on August 15, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. Getty Images Lee told Reuters on Friday that the series was not going to be released. 'It's not coming out. That's all I can say,' Lee said on the red carpet ahead of the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner, a fundraiser for cancer research and treatment, in Beverly Hills, California. Advertisement Asked why, the Oscar-winning director declined to elaborate, citing a nondisclosure agreement. 'I can't. I signed a nondisclosure. I can't talk about it.' 3 A television camera has a sleeve with the ESPN logo over its lens before the SEC Softball Championship Semifinals game between Oklahoma Sooners and Arkansas Razorbacks on May 9, 2025, at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Kaepernick played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016. He ignited a national debate in 2016 when he knelt during the U.S. national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality. Advertisement The 37-year-old athlete has not played in the NFL since that season. Many experts believed his political activism, which triggered a movement that drew the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, was the key reason teams were wary of signing him. He later filed a collusion grievance against team owners, which was settled with the league in 2019. 3 Colin Kaepernick puts his hand over his heart in response to a comment at a special training event created by Kaepernick to provide greater access to scouts, the media, and the public at Charles. R. Drew High School in Riverdale, Georgia, U.S., November 16, 2019. REUTERS A representative for Kaepernick said the player had no comment about the docuseries on Saturday. Advertisement Production on the series began in 2022, with Walt Disney-owned ESPN touting it as a 'full, first-person account' of Kaepernick's journey that would feature extensive interviews with the player. In September, Puck News reported the project faced delays amid disagreements between Kaepernick and Lee over the direction of the film, and that ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was open to allowing the filmmakers to shop it elsewhere.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store