By Ross Jackson
Top-30 draft visits are ramping up across the league and the New Orleans Saints are in the number. After an early top-30 visit with East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel made news, the Saints have reportedly completed another with one of the top offensive tackles in the 2025 draft class.
Per ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, the Saints hosted Minnesota tackle Aireontae Ersery for a top-30 visit earlier this month.
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
Ersery is projected as a fringe day one tackle that could be on the board when the Saints select at No. 40 overall in the second round and perhaps in the early third, though less likely. The 6-foot-6, 331 pound former Golden Gopher definitely has size and would be unlikely to move inside at the next level. He even checks the arm length box at tackle with a 34.13-inch measurement.
The tackle also showed off his athletic acumen with impressive testing in Indianapolis.
Combine Testing Results:
- Bench: 25 reps
- 40-yard-dash: 5.01
- Vertical: 29.5”
- Broad jump: 9-foot-3
- Shuttle: 4.82
- 3-Cone: 7.81
Career Performance With Minnesota
Ersery allowed just one sack and 12 total pressures in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. As a three-year left tackle starter, he surrendered only five total sacks with just 42 pressures in total. There seems to be an expectation that the big-bodied lineman might be best served with a move over to the right side of the offensive line in the pros, prompting curiosities around the Saints’ interest.
What Selecting Ersery Would Mean For The Saints
Truth be told, building tackle depth would be a solid move by New Orleans in this year’s draft. Behind starters Taliese Fuaga on the left and Trevor Penning on the right, the Saints’ options consist of two late-round selections and a mid-2024 practice squad addition. Driving some competition at right tackle and bolstering depth with a unit that took on a lot of injuries last season (though the team remained healthy at tackle) wouldn’t be the worst draft decision by a wide margin.
