The Houston Texans needed a game changer on the backend of coach Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 scheme.
Houston passed a chance when they traded down from No. 13 overall to No. 15 in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft to selection Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green. Sandwiched in between Houston’s possessions was the Baltimore Ravens picking Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, who would have been a massive scheme fit for the Texans.
Although the Texans missed out on Hamilton, they still had a shot to add such an impactful defensive back, and they did with the selection of Baylor’s Jalen Pitre with the No. 37 overall pick in Round 2.
After transitioning from college and pre-draft workouts to the NFL two weeks ago during rookie minicamp, Pitre is working alongside the veterans, and Smith can see how well the rookie is adapting to the pro game.
“Jalen, he’s a sponge,” Smith told reporters on May 24 during organized team activities at Houston Methodist Training Center. “He’s picking up quickly.”
Pitre earned other compliments from the 63-year-old coach for his ability to be “bright” and “athletic,” but the former 2005 NFL Coach of the Year acknowledged the 6-0, 197-pound safety still needs considerable work.
“He needs reps,” Smith said. “Offseason work helps those guys so much, and that local flavor is good also.”
The Stafford High School product learned at Baylor under coach Dave Aranda how to stay patient, which is what Pitre is applying throughout his offseason work with his hometown team.
“The biggest thing that I learned was just to be patient with things and just to wait on my turn,” Pitre told reporters on May 13 during rookie minicamp. “Coach Aranda is a very patient individual. That’s something I’ve been trying to work on.”
The more that Pitre is able to quickly pick up on, the better the Texans secondary will be.
