Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil became the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league for the third time in his career when he signed a two-year, $60.2 million deal in March. Despite being traded by the Houston Texans to Washington last season, Tunsil is still regarded as one of the top offensive tackles in the league.
Commanders’ Laremy Tunsil Receives Mixed Verdicts From NFL Personnel
Tunsil landed at No. 5 in an ESPN article ranking the top offensive tackles in the NFL. Executives, scouts, and coaches had mixed evaluations of the Commanders’ star’s potential and performance.
“Underrated to me and bulletproof in both phases,” an NFC executive reportedly said. “[He] has another gear that others don’t. Still violent.”
“He makes mistakes and blows protection assignments on communication,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said.
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The Commanders’ offensive tackle managed a 91.5% pass-block rate after only giving up four sacks in 393 pass-blocking opportunities last season. He was also called for only five penalties last season, versus 17 for the Texans in 2024.
After his X account was hacked on draft night, Tunsil experienced a huge slide during the 2016 NFL Draft, ultimately falling to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13. After three seasons in Miami, Tunsil was traded to the Houston Texans, where he established himself as one of the best offensive tackles in the league.
Tunsil had five Pro Bowl selections during his six-year Texans career before being traded to the Commanders last year. His trade was shocking since he was the Texans’ best offensive lineman, and they had made him the best-paid player in his position twice during his career in Houston.
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He was traded alongside a fourth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick, a 2025 seventh-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick. In an interview with local media after enduring the second trade of his NFL career, Tunsil explained why the Texans let him go.
“Pretty much they are just trying to keep the young guys together. It’s as simple as that,” Tunsil said. “When I was a rookie, my older teammates would tell me it’s a young man’s game and I seen it for myself. They drafted some young guys and hit on every draft pick. So I fully understand it.”
Despite Tunsil’s presence, Washington had a PFN Offensive Line Impact score of 74.4, good for No. 19 in the NFL last season. On the other hand, the Texans improved and earned a PFSN Offensive Line Impact score of 80.4, good for No. 9 in the league, a massive improvement compared to the 2024 season, when their unit was ranked second-worst despite having Tunsil.
Despite his lofty contract, Tunsil has finished with these ranks in the league, according to PFN’s Player OL Impact Metric:
- 2025: Impact score of 81.9, ranking 39th in the league.
- 2024: Impact score of 79.2, ranking 345th in the league.
- 2023: Impact score of 76.5, ranking 81st in the league.
- 2022: Impact score of 84.7, ranking 18th in the league.
- 2020: Impact score of 73.1, ranking 112th in the league.
- 2019: Impact score of 78.8, ranking 53rd in the league.
These further prove that the concerns about Tunsil are valid, and the Pro Bowl selections don’t prove that he is actually a top offensive lineman in the league.
