9. Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
It certainly was an auspicious start to an NFL career, when Laremy Tunsil’s draft night was marred by a photo of him surfacing right as the draft began. That photo, of Tunsil wearing a mask while smoking marijuana, likely contributed to a bit of a draft night slide. But he has found his way to the Houston Texans, after a quick stint in Miami with the Dolphins, and over the past few seasons he has displayed the promise that came with his first-round selection.
2019 was a bit of a breakout year for him, as he logged over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career. Tunsil was credited with three sacks allowed, but that number needs a bit of context, as Deshaun Watson continues to be plagued by high sack numbers, some of which can be attributed to his willingness to fight in the pocket when other quarterbacks might just throw the football away and fight on the next down.
When you study Tunsil you’ll see why he was a first-round pick. He is constantly looking for work, and shows tremendous athleticism for a big man. Watch what he does on this play-action design:
Check out this protection off PAP the Texans ran last week and what Tunsil did. Basically skip pulled across the formation & picked up the opposite side DE. pic.twitter.com/2aJeAsHgrj
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 17, 2019
Tasked with coming across the formation, he identifies a wide threat coming around the pocket, and gets into the rushing defensive end to give Watson just enough time to make the throw.
When you talk about an offensive tackle “dropping the anchor,” this is a prime example. Watch how Tunsil handles Marcus Davenport on the first play of this clip:
Tunsil looked really good overall in his first game as a Texan, and he handled Marcus Davenport pretty easily pic.twitter.com/0fMwFGPRXx
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 13, 2019
Tunsil absorbs the initial contact and drops his lower body, anchoring himself and screwing his feet into the turf. That is how you build the wall from the ground up as a pass blocker.
More seasons with technique and execution like this, and Tunsil will find himself working up boards like this list.