Kamari Lassiter believes few can get past him in coverage. It’s why he goes by the name ‘Locksmith’ since he’s locking down receivers on Saturdays in the SEC.
The Texans hope the version of Lassiter that made Georgia’s defense impossible to gameplan for will translate to consistent production at NRG Stadium. Houston plans on letting its second-round pick compete for reps on the outside and in the nickel once training camp rolls around.
“Kamari provides toughness,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Saturday following the draft. “You talk about energy and the way he plays the game. He loves football. It shows on the tape. It jumps off the tape. He’s a versatile player. He can play inside, he can play outside.”
Lassiter, a second-team All-SEC defensive back, has experience in the slot on the outside. Desmond King is currently the only nickel defender with reps, and while Houston added Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson, neither have been consistent during their first four seasons.
The 6-foot defender should start in due time and could be an immediate upgrade in coverage for a lackluster secondary that struggled to defend explosive plays.
Here is what several NFL draft experts had to say about Lassiter before Houston selected him 42nd overall.
From The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:
A two-year starter, Lassiter was an outside cornerback (boundary and field) in head coach Kirby Smart’s man/zone scheme. Despite fi nishing with zero interceptions, he still earned All-SEC honors in 2023, because of his coverage skills — he surrendered just 38.5 percent completions and zero touchdowns (and his last pass interference penalty came in November 2022). A quicker-than-fast athlete, Lassiter makes up for his lack of top-end speed with smart, intentional coveragespacing for twitchy read-and-drive plays (Smart: “He learns the first time you tell him.”).
Although his stat sheet and tape don’t scream “ballhawk,” he plays with the football instincts that teams covet at the position. The last time he gave up more than two catches in a game was in the 2022 College Football Playoffs against Ohio State.
Overall, Lassiter doesn’t have elite physical traits at a position where size and speed are at a premium, but his play recognition and competitiveness are both off the charts. Although he is viewed as a nickel-only by several teams, he has starting talent that is best suited for a zone-match scheme.
From NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Spunky but slender with the mentality to sift through the highs and lows that come with the position. Lassiter has the athleticism and dog to play press-man coverage and all forms of zone. His instincts and play recognition are getting better to help shadow routes and pester catch points, but he hasn’t yet flashed as a corner looking to play the football and flip the field. Lassiter could see flags early in his career, as he struggles to keep up with deep throws and doesn’t always trust his technique. He’s physical and well-coached with the potential to play as a nickel back or roving safety.
From CBS Sports’ Scouting Department:
Lassiter (6-feet, 186 pounds) was a productive player on a strong Georgia defense, but it’s difficult to recall the last time a cornerback was drafted this high with athletic testing as poor as Lassiter’s. More specifically, Lassiter’s 4.65-second 40-yard time at his pro day is bad even by safety standards, let alone a cornerback who’s thin and with short arms (30 and 7/8-inches). Lassiter’s short-area movement is very good, as evidenced by his elite 6.62-second three-cone drill, but he might need the Houston pass rush to hurry the quarterback before wideouts get the chance to take Lassiter downfield. Be it in the slot or on the boundary, the Texans clearly have immediate plans for Lassiter after drafting him this high.
From Pro Football Focus:
Lassiter is a very smart football player, especially for his age and experience. He understands that winning at cornerback starts with anticipation, controlled footwork and fundamentally sound hand placement and hand fighting. He is somewhat limited when it comes to twitchiness. He is
controlled and can change direction quickly, but his first step doesn’t explode as well as it does for other cornerbacks, and his long speed, while adequate, needs more build-up. In run defense, he is conscious of funneling players inward but does so too conservatively, at times, and then fails to make a good tackle attempt.
From Bleacher Report Scouting Department:
Kamari Lassiter is a versatile cornerback who thrives off his quick feet and physicality. The 4-star recruit didn’t take long before he started playing in the Georgia secondary. He does a great job of playing his position, whether he’s playing from man or zone coverage as well as when he comes up to support the run.
When in coverage, Lassiter has a smooth backpedal and quick feet to transition. He possesses good route recognition and understanding of concepts. When in zone coverage, he does a great job of splitting threats with good leverage and spacing. He shows good reaction to the ball in the air but plays with his eyes in the backfield, too often looking for the big play.
When working downfield, he has the speed to carry receivers deep. Most times, he does a good job of locating and playing the ball, but he panics at times and becomes too handsy. Ultimately, he shows very good timing when breaking up passes and has the ball skills to capitalize when he gets his hands on the ball.
As a run defender, Lassiter does a great job of playing his position. He makes quick reads and comes up to support the run. He mostly uses his athleticism to beat blockers but can fall into trouble when matched up against bigger blockers. Though he has good length, he lacks the strength needed to control or hold his ground with blocks and can get bullied at times.
When it comes to tackling, he does a very good job of closing ground and securing ball-carriers with wrap tackles. There are also times where he will throw his body around and deliver physical hits. Though he may lack strength at times, he has the physicality needed for the next level.
Ultimately, Lassiter is one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft. A well-rounded player, he will definitely be selected in the earlier rounds. He has the versatility to play in multiple schemes and does a very good job of defending the run. He will have to continue to work on play strength, along with his play against the pass downfield, but Lassiter will have the chance to play early in his career.
Lassiter’s tape in 2022 and 2023 showed a strong outside mirror match corner who played with patience and poise, at times using a one-arm stab to disrupt the receiver’s release and allow him to maintain his balance and body control and stay in phase through the early part of the route stem.
Lassiter is a lean, wiry corner. He was very comfortable playing press man, mirroring and stabbing receivers off their releases with the easy burst and acceleration to carry vertically and get his head around to locate the ball. Lassiter also showed a good feel for route concepts in zone coverage, instinctively understanding how to minimize the conflict that two- and three-man combinations placed him in.
Lassiter, while not necessarily sudden and twitchy, showed plant and burst quickness and burst when aligned in off coverage and overall showed the kind of loose hips and easy transitions and change of direction demanded to play outside corner at the next level.
Lassiter has experience playing in the slot, and it would not be surprising if some NFL coaches and teams see him transitioning more effectively inside, but I believe he has the length and athletic traits to play outside and be a quality corner at the next level.
From Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings:
Lassiter isn’t an overwhelming size threat, and he doesn’t quite have elite size-adjusted athleticism. But with Lassiter, there’s a very sound confluence of natural talent and intangible strength, and that combination should help him thrive at the NFL level.
In press-man, Lassiter is a fleet-footed mover with great targeted physicality, tenacity, and discipline. He has a solid pedal and catch arsenal in off-man, and in side-saddle and zone, he’s a smooth mover with sharp eyes and a quick trigger.
For Lassiter, the biggest question might rest in his ceiling. Sometimes, he struggles to fully sink and decelerate overtop comebacks and in-breakers, and he also has room to grow and become more consistent as a playmaker at the catch point.
While Lassiter might not have the elite physical foundation to be an impact starter out of the gate, he has more than enough physical talent to be a quality NFL starter, and with more time to iron out minute deficiencies, he can be a productive playmaker with schematic versatility and a tone-setting edge in support.
From Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling:
Lassiter will need to clean up his technique in coverage, and he might need to bulk up if he wants to keep playing with the same level of physicality without it leading to injuries. That said, his overall skill set from both a mental and physical standpoint is more than enough of a foundation upon which he can build a successful career at the next level.