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
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.
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