A decade in the NFL, a $60 million extension, and a group of young linemen heading to Auburn to train with the best left tackle Washington has had since Trent Williams.
On draft night in 2016, Laremy Tunsil went from a projected top-five pick to the 13th overall selection in the span of about ten minutes — not because of anything that happened on the field, but because a video leaked from his hacked Twitter account right as the draft kicked off. It showed him wearing a gas mask. Teams panicked and team after team passed over the best left tackle in the draft. The Miami Dolphins took him at 13 and never looked back. What followed is one of the quieter, steadier ascents in recent NFL history. He had to prove himself twice over, and did it so convincingly that Washington just made him the first offensive lineman in NFL history to earn $30 million per season.
That's the story. Now let's talk about why he's worth it.
The Rise
Tunsil grew up in Lake City, Florida, a two-time All-State tackle at Columbia High School, who committed to Ole Miss over every major program in the country. He started as a true freshman for the Rebels — one of only two true freshmen in the nation starting at left tackle that year — and immediately dominated SEC competition. He spent three years in Oxford, earning back-to-back All-SEC honors, before the Dolphins made him their cornerstone at blindside protector in 2016.
It took a trade to Houston in 2019 to unlock his best football. With the Texans, Tunsil spent six seasons becoming the standard-bearer at his position, earning a 92.3 PFF pass-blocking grade over that stretch — the highest of any offensive tackle in the league over that span. Five Pro Bowls. Consistent. Durable. Immovable. When Washington gave up four draft picks to bring him to D.C. last March, it wasn't a gamble. It was the acknowledgment that elite left tackle play is the foundation on which everything else is built.
What He Does on the Field
Watch Tunsil in pass protection, and the first thing you notice is how little he moves. Not because he's passive — because he doesn't have to be. His punch timing is precise enough to neutralize the initial burst of a pass rusher before they can generate momentum, and his anchor is deep enough that pure power moves rarely move him off his spot. In 2025, he allowed just 15 total pressures across 802 snaps — a 1.9% pressure rate that ranked among the best in the entire NFL. Only two of those pressures became sacks. In 14 starts, he was essentially a wall.
His pass-blocking grade of 88.9 from PFF ranked second among all offensive linemen with a minimum of 554 snaps, which puts him behind only the very best in the game at his specific craft. The footwork is what separates him from tackles who are merely good. On speed rushes, he mirrors edge defenders with lateral quickness that shouldn't exist in a 313-pound man. On inside counter moves, his hand reset is quick enough to reestablish control before the rusher can turn the corner. Against Myles Garrett specifically, Tunsil has a documented track record of winning more battles than he loses, which is something very few left tackles in the NFL can say.
The run blocking has developed into a genuine strength. He posted a 75.3 run-blocking grade in 2025, 21st among offensive tackles, and Washington averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a team, seventh-best in the league. Tunsil's ability to seal the edge on outside zone runs and create movement at the point of attack gives the run game a dimension it simply didn't have with Brandon Coleman starting the year before.
Building the Next Generation
This is the part that doesn't show up in any grade. When Tunsil got his extension done, one of the first things he talked about publicly wasn't the money — it was Auburn. Every offseason, Tunsil trains with his personal offensive line coach, Dominic Studzinski, at a facility in Auburn, Alabama. This offseason, he opened the invitation to his teammates. Josh Conerly Jr., Washington's first-round pick and the heir apparent at right tackle, is going. Brandon Coleman is going. Trent Scott called Tunsil directly to ask about making the trip.
That kind of culture isn't manufactured. Adam Peters acknowledged it plainly at the end of last season: "He's a great leader, and he's really not upfront about it. He's an outstanding mentor to the other O-linemen. He's a really good teammate in a lot of ways that you don't really see because he's not looking for attention." Kliff Kingsbury echoed it even more directly: "He's been phenomenal, more than I could have ever expected. The way he works, the way he leads the young guys — it'd be hard to find one who has played better at that position this season."
That mentorship accelerates Washington's timeline on the offensive line in a way that no draft pick or free agent signing can replicate. Conerly is learning from someone who has handled the best pass rushers in football for a decade. Coleman is learning what elite preparation looks like up close. The investment in Tunsil isn't just about protecting Jayden Daniels in 2026 — it's about building an offensive line that doesn't need to be rebuilt again for years to come.