Just about the only elite position remaining on the Houston Texans offense is left tackle, and a recent ranking of all 32 left tackles in the NFL proves it.
According to Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus, Laremy Tunsil was ranked as the eighth-best left tackle in the NFL.
Tunsil has been a standout pass-blocker but a middling run-blocker in every season of his NFL career. He trails only Ronnie Stanley and David Bakhtiari in pass-blocking grade among tackles since coming to Houston in 2019. Considering the sheer number of long-developing plays he has endured as a Texan, that is quite impressive.
On plays where the quarterback gets rid of the ball within three seconds of the snap, Tunsil ranks second among tackles in pressure rate allowed. At the same time, he sits right at the 50th percentile in run-blocking grade at his position over the past couple of years. Tunsil’s price tag in his trade to Houston was clearly too high, but his pass-blocking prowess easily makes him a top-10 tackle.
Much like Tunsil’s days with the Miami Dolphins from 2016-18, the former first-round pick from Ole Miss will have to do his job while the offense platoons it at quarterback. If Tunsil, who earned both of his career Pro Bowl selections with the Texans, can play at that top tier level, whoever is under center should have plenty of time to make better decisions with the football.
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