Following free agency, Texans general manager Nick Caserio understood which direction he’d turn in the upcoming NFL draft.
Moves made at defensive end, running back and linebacker confirmed that cornerback would be a top option on Houston’s big board come early in the second round.
Still, Caserio figured whichever rookie would serve as the “first” pick for the 2024 cycle likely wouldn’t make a “significant impact” in Year 1 since the AFC South champions built a roster worthy of contending in free agency.
That was that thought process before Kamari Lassiter showed up to OTAs. Turns out the second-round pick out of Georgia is forcing his way into being an x-factor for DeMeco Ryans’ defense in Year 2.
Lassiter, a two-year starter for the Bulldogs, shined during practices last month in coverage. Everyone saw the pair of pass deflections against Stefon Diggs posted on the team’s X page, but there’s more behind the scenes.
Lassiter was fluid coming out of his breaks. He broke up a pass intended for the 6-foot-4 Nico Collins despite standing at 5-foot-11. He kept pace with speedster Tank Dell in the nickel on a vertical route, thus eliminating him from the play.
Initially, Lassiter was pegged to compete with Myles Bryant and Desmond King for the starting nickel position. With training camp around the corner, the “Locksmith” might have locked down a spot on the outside opposite former first-rounder Derek Stingley Jr.
Georgia junior CB Kamari Lassiter kept drawing my attention against South Carolina
Gamecocks couldn't get much going on his side of the field. Recognition here is impeccable, eyes are in the right place and he breaks on the ball before #9 can get a hand on him pic.twitter.com/Bb1QQ24AVd
— Tim Verghese (@TimVerghese) September 18, 2023
“What I have seen from Kamari is a guy that has been locked in since day one that he has gotten here,” Ryans said following OTAs. “He is very competitive, he is making plays, he is an instinctive player. I think a lot of guys have been fired up to see what he has been able to do over the past couple weeks.”
Draft analysts pegged Lassiter as an ideal fit for Ryans’ scheme because of his physicality near the line of scrimmage. Ryans’ patented “SWARM” mentality is built around a player’s premise flying to the football and playing to the end of the whistle.
That’s Lassiter, who allowed just a 38.5% completion rate in coverage last season, the lowest among SEC defenders and fourth-lowest among FBS cornerbacks. The only reason he wasn’t regarded as a bonafide first-round lock was because of an underwhelming 4.64 40 time at his pro day.
Speed hasn’t been a problem in coverage for Lassiter during the early stages of camp. Neither has his attention to detail.
Think Kamari Lassiter can start at nickel immediately for Texans. Violent downhill player and super competitive at the catch point. Technically sound pic.twitter.com/tMYF3VsWaG
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) April 27, 2024
“It’s just that mentality you have coming from the SEC,” defensive end Will Anderson said of Lassiter. “He gets it. He knows now is the time. He doesn’t have to wait for nobody. He’s not scared to jump up in front of the line. He’s not afraid to go make plays. That’s the type of mentality that he has coming from a place like that.”
The Texans were a top-10 defense in nearly every metric last season but failed to capitalize on one major asset: explosive plays. They allowed 60 plays over 20 yards downfield, 28 of which came in the final six weeks of the regular season.
Jalen Pitre struggled with consistency in man coverage after a breakout rookie season. Jimmie Ward was the better of the two downfield, but he also missed seven games due to injury.
Third-round pick Calen Bulock should be considered a long-term replacement for Ward given his center-field-type coverage range. Pitre isn’t a lost cause because of one bad year, but he’ll need to improve in coverage if he plans to be a part of the Texans’ plans past his rookie contract.
Lassiter could fix the issue should he start on the outside. Despite only notching one interception, he eliminated top targets in the SEC, including first-round picks Jameson Williams, Xavier Legette and Malik Nabers.
Ryans won’t hand Lassiter the starting job just because of a good summer. He’ll have to earn it over the next six weeks before taking on Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 1.
“It felt great to get out there and play football.”#Texans Kamari Lassiter on his first day of rookie minicamp. pic.twitter.com/WEztNlz3n4
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) May 10, 2024
Right now, it’s a three-man race for CB2 reps. Former first-round pick Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson signed one-year deals to rejuvenate their careers after underwhelming stints in their first two years. Neither were up to the same level as Lassiter during reps in practice.
The Texans have an offense ready to win a title. The defense, headlined by the pass-rushing duo of Anderson and Danielle Hunter, should put up career numbers if they can stay healthy. Every area on paper improved in the offseason, including cornerback depth after the departure of Steven Nelson.
If Lassiter can start right away as a second-round pick, Caserio once more struck gold in the mid-rounds with another cornerstone entering a new age of Houston football.
C.J. Stroud praised the defense for their work in practice last month, calling it a “dogs on dogs” battle.
“The best teams I’ve ever been on have been the closest teams partially, but also the most competitive teams,” Stroud said.
Lassiter adds to that competitive nature in practice. One could say he elevates it.
“He can do great things for this defense and be a part of something special that we have going on here,” Anderson said.
