In February, ESPN’s Matt Bowen picked the Green Bay Packers as the “best fit” for free agent safety Xavier McKinney, who eventually signed a four-year deal to join Matt LaFleur’s team. A few weeks out from the 2024 NFL draft, Bowen sees another fit in the secondary for Jeff Hafley and the Packers: Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter.
In his “favorite team fits for 20 top prospects,” Bowen connected the Packers with Lassiter, a potential second-round pick.
From Bowen:
The Packers already made a smart move in the secondary whey they added safety Xavier McKinney in free agency. Now, let’s address the cornerback position on Day 2 with Lassiter. He’s competitive and aggressive in man coverage schemes, and he sees plays develop quickly when playing zone coverage. Lassiter has the physical style to tackle on the perimeter, too. He gets downhill. Lassiter, who did not allow a touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage last season, is a fit in a Packers defense that will adjust its coverage tendencies under new coordinator Jeff Hafley.
The Packers have five picks in the top 100, including a pair of second-rounders (No. 41, No. 58).
Lassiter (5-11, 186) was a reserve for Georgia’s 2021 title team and then started 29 games over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, tallying 12 pass breakups and 8.5 tackles for losses.
According to Pro Football Focus, Lassiter forced 10 incompletions and allowed only 15 catches (on 39 targets) for 136 yards and no touchdowns into coverage last season. Almost all of Lassiter’s experience at cornerback came on the perimeter for Georgia.
The 21-year-old is PFF’s No. 37 overall prospect in the draft class.
Unpacking Future Packers: No. 82, Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter
Lassiter is on the smaller side, and he didn’t run well at the combine (4.64-second time in 40-yard dash), but solid agility times — like a 6.62-second time in the three-cone drill — helped save his athletic profile. His Relative Athletic Score is 6.24 out of 10.0.
The Packers brought back Keisean Nixon to play the slot and also re-signed Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell for depth and special teams. The team is also hopeful that Eric Stokes — a 2021 first-rounder — can return from several lower-body injuries that cost him the better part of two seasons and be a contributor again at perimeter corner. Jaire Alexander is locked in as one starter.
The Packers likely want to add a corner in this year’s draft. Could Lassiter be the target come Day 2? He’s young (still only 21), experienced (two-year starter in the SEC) and plays a premium position that needs long-term depth, and his height and agility match what the Packers generally look for in corners.