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Former Minnesota OL Aireontae Ersery reacting in the middle of a college football game.
The New York Jets have a massive void to fill on the offensive line.
One name that could help fill it is Minnesota OL Aireontae Ersery. Back in March, the Jets hosted the hog molly on a top-30 visit ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, per NFL Network Insider Cameron Wolfe.
Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery has a ‘30’ visit with New York Jets today, per source.
Big talented OT who tested well. I’m told Ersery did ‘30’ visits earlier this month with Saints and Chiefs. He has planned ‘30’ visits in April with 6 other teams including Patriots & Panthers. pic.twitter.com/X2SKhxgzYd
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) March 24, 2025
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NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein described him as a “mass of humanity with a broad chest and long arms.”
He measured in at the 2025 NFL combine at 6-foot-6 and tipped the scales at 331 pounds.
The Jets Would Have to Do a Little Bit of Projection Here
80% of the Jets’ starting offensive line is figured out. The only missing piece is at right tackle.
This offseason, veteran Morgan Moses bolted to the New England Patriots on a three-year deal for $24 million.
The current projected favorite to start at right tackle is Chukwuma Okorafor. He is a fine player, but new head coach Aaron Glenn has preached competition early in the offseason. The Jets are expected to hit the O-Line during the 2025 NFL draft.
Ersery is Dane Brugler’s No. 5 rated offensive tackle in this draft class. He gave him a second-round grade in “The Beast” via The Athletic.
The Jets hold the No. 42 overall pick in the second round of April’s draft.
In Mel Kiper Jr’s latest 2-round mock draft for ESPN, Ersery was still available heading into the third round.
Ersery played college football for five seasons at Minnesota. The only right tackle experience he had was for one game during the shortened COVID season in 2020, per Brugler.
“Started 38 straight games at left tackle to finish career,” Brugler noted.
Last year, the Jets took Olu Fashanu with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round to be the left tackle of the future. If the Jets drafted Ersery, he would have to flip to the right side.
A Philosophy Question Faces the Jets in the Early Rounds
The debate on social media for the Jets is offensive line or offensive weapon with the No. 7 overall pick.
Gang Green needs a right tackle, but they also need a wide receiver and a tight end on offense.
The true question for the Jets in their war room is which position offers the better value. If the team takes a right tackle in the first round, will there be a good enough wide receiver or tight end available in the second round? What about vice versa?
A to Z Sports NFL draft analyst Ryan Roberts joined me on “Boy Green Meets Wudi” on Tuesday, April 8.
I asked him how many rookies in this 2025 NFL draft class could start at right tackle on day one in the NFL.
“There is probably three to four in this class overall,” Roberts told me.
That isn’t a big number, which means if the Jets pass on right tackle in the first round, they better feel pretty good about one of those other players slipping to them on day two.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
