The Houston Texans took a page from the playbook this week with the Tunsil trade, and that’s why we highlighted the left tackle earlier this week. The trade, announced Tuesday, includes seven draft picks overall that give the Texans a treasure chest with the potential to remake their team for years to come. By trading Tunsil, the Texans received all of these valuable assets in return. They got back a 2025 third- and seventh-rounder, along with a 2026 second- and fourth-rounder. In return, the Commanders will get a fourth-round pick from the Texans.
Tunsil has been a bulwark along the Texans’ offensive front since they traded for him mid-2019. His 2022 performance was the best of the pack. On top of that, he ranked tenth among all tackles with an impressive pass block win rate of 92.9%. He was brilliant under pressure, per Pro Football Focus. Among all left tackles who played at least 500 pass-blocking snaps, he ranked fifth in terms of pressure rate allowed at 8.3%. Despite the great achievements he accomplished, including being a five-time Pro Bowler, the Texans took a big gamble. They decided to chase future assets rather than keep paying Tunsil, who was scheduled to make a total of $42 million the next two seasons.
In fact, even current Head Coach DeMeco Ryans admitted the toughness of letting Tunsil go. Ryans continued, “There’s nothing simple about that because Laremy is such a great player. Get that tape on Sunday, and he’s arguably one of the best one-on-one pass protectors in the NFL. Losing a player of his caliber, in any way, is a heavy blow. For the record, we think it was a good trade for both cities.
After posting as many impressive statistics as they come last season, Tunsil only allowed 2.5 sacks while achieving a pass pressure rate of 12.1%. Competition was key to Ryans, and it starts from top to bottom on the depth chart. “Guys who play hard. [I] really wanted to enhance competition in the room,” he said.
These are notably the Texans hope for days ahead, as they attempt to fortified their fledgling offensive line with greener additions. Ryans was optimistic on the roster as it stands, boasting a mix of youths and ages in-between along with veteran leadership. “We have a good core of young guys, some veteran guys,” he said. And with the combination of guys that we have, the messaging to all those guys is, you know, hey, let’s find out who our best five are on our roster. Looking ahead, though, it’s anyone’s guess as to what that competition will turn us into. Competition, to me, makes you better.
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