‘I play defense’: New Texans CB Kamari Lassiter open to playing anywhere in secondary

Slot defender? Boundary cornerback? Safety? 

Name a position in the secondary and new Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter will play it, even if it comes with a few hiccups. 

“I play football. I play defense wherever they put me at,” Lassiter said Friday following the first day of Texans rookie minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

Lassiter, Houston’s first pick in the 2024 NFL draft, comes with a hard-hitting demeanor, but the knowledge to be expendable. The 6-foot defensive back spent two seasons on the outside at Georgia and one season in the slot, helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. 

The Texans saw a playmaker first and a cornerback second throughout the pre-draft process. They watch him shine as the alpha in Kirby Smart’s secondary while breaking his career numbers from the year prior. 

“With Kamari – again, he’s a very sharp young man,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He can play inside and he can play outside. He did that at Georgia, and whatever that day calls for, we’ll put him out at corner, we’ll put him out at nickel, and we’ll see what happens.”

Lassiter was a star in Athens during his three seasons. He quickly caught the attention of Smart, who rarely starts freshmen on defense due to ample veteran talent. Much like Ryans, Smart follows the ‘best man for the job’ approach, thus leading to extensive reps for the Tuscaloosa native. 

Cornerbacks often take time to translate to the pros, even those from the SEC. Lassiter should make the jump once comfortable given his production at Georgia and the level of competition he faced. 

Over his final two seasons, Lassiter allowed the fewest passing yards, and second-fewest completion percentage of any FBS cornerback in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. 

As for the talent? Lassiter faced first-round draft picks Xavier Legette and Malik Nabers. Against Legette, he allowed two catches for six yards. Against Nabers, he was targeted once for an eventual incompletion in the SEC Championship. 

“I always thought I could play at the highest level in college and my family always believed that. It’s just always about proving ourselves right,” said Lassiter. “Everything that I do is really just to kind of just prove myself right just to make sure that I know I’m here for a reason.”

Entering organized team activities (OTAs) next week, Lassiter should see extensive reps at both slot defender and on the boundary. The Texans should feel good about their depth at both positions, but two players will have to prove their value as starters opposite Derek Stingley Jr. 

Stingley, a former All-SEC cornerback at LSU, already reached out to Lassiter since being drafted and plans to work with him throughout camp. He left the rookie with a message before arriving in Houston. 

“He was just like, ‘Let’s get to work,’“ Lassiter said. 

Story originally appeared on Texans Wire