Kamari Lassiter is officially a member of the Houston Texans.
The second-round cornerback out of Georgia and Houston agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth roughly $9 million, which includes a $3.376 million signing bonus, according to KPRC2 Sports Aaron Wilson.
Lassiter should have a chance to compete for starting reps both on the outside and in the nickel to begin training camp.
“Kamari provides toughness,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “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.
“He’s everything that our team is about. You talk about everything being relentless and attacking. With the relentless mindset every single day, that’s what Kamari brings.”
Kamari Lassiter is ready for Rookie Minicamp Tomorrow 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/nyES545DSB
— Jacob (@Stroud4AllPro) May 9, 2024
Lassiter said he felt a connection with the Texans from the jump. The two first met at the NFL combine in early February. That transpired over to Zoom calls as part of the pre-draft visit leading up to the second round.
“You watch football, and you think you’d fit in and enjoy playing at,” Lassiter said. “I feel like Houston is one of those places. I really fell in love with the coaching staff, just by how wholesome they were. I feel like they were someone I could click with, and someone I could play well under.”
Lassiter, a two-time national champion with Georgia, finished his collegiate career with 86 tackles, 14 pass breakups and an interception. During his final season, he allowed just 15 catches for 137 yards in coverage and broke up a career-high eight passes.
Not worry about a 40 time when game speed checks the box 😌🤘🏽 Let’s Goooo @HoustonTexans @kamari_lassiter pic.twitter.com/XGARnHhvmk
— Aron LeMond (@mvp_n_houston) May 6, 2024
“I call myself The Locksmith,’” Lassiter said. “I pride myself on having stuff on lock. I really wanted to get a lock with the name ‘Locksmith’ on there.”
The 6-foot, 180-pounder was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2023 and was expected to draw first-round interest before running a 4.6 40-time at Georgia’s pro day. Lassiter had a foot injury when he tested and usually runs in the 4.5 range.
The Texans, who look more at the film than the metrics, were never concerned with Lassiter’s time, stating his play style carried more weight into the selection.
“I know speed is important. I’m not saying speed is not important. We don’t feel that’s an issue for this particular player,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “When you watch him play in the SEC, you don’t walk away and have that concern.”
Entering Friday’s practice, the Texans have signed seven of their nine rookies, including every pick on Day 3. Notre Dame offensive tackle Blakc Fisher [Pick No. 59] and USC defensive back Calen Bullock [Pick No. 78] are still working to finalize their deals before the start of mandatory minicamp later this month.