Picking the best Round 2 draft target for the Houston Texans after the 2024 NFL Combine
The Houston Texans have 29 free agents entering this offseason. Sure, they will sign some of them back if not most of them, but we won't see all 29 back on the team. That is why free agency and the NFL draft are things. For the Texans, they will have to use both wisely, but […]
The Houston Texans have 29 free agents entering this offseason. Sure, they will sign some of them back if not most of them, but we won't see all 29 back on the team. That is why free agency and the NFL draft are things. For the Texans, they will have to use both wisely, but especially the draft.
Luckily for them, the Texans have around $70 million in cap space and plenty of draft picks to try and improve. They have hit the draft big time in the last two years, especially last year. Last season, the storyline was about the two top-three draft picks who turned into two franchise players.
This season, the storyline is what will happen after the first round. At A to Z Sports, we have been doing our series of best draft picks per round. In these series, we act as if the team picks with the trade they currently have and does not get any trades. In round one, we chose defensive tackle Johnny Newton, and in round two, I happened to have the perfect pick for the Texans at pick No. 59.
The Texans should draft Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter with the 59th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
The Texans have to wait until they pick No. 59 to draft in the second round, which will have them see a bit of a dip in talent and skill when it's their turn to pick. However, with a defensive tackle in the first round, which is very much needed, the Texans have to go defensive back here to make sure C.J., Stroud, and DeMeco Ryans have a defense that can hold their own for years to come.
They don't need another lockdown No. 1 cornerback, as they have that in Derek Stingley, who had a huge year last season and submitted himself as one of the best in the league. However, they do need another guy who can win his one-on-one matchups consistently and a guy who can develop into a cornerback that other teams still respect. That could be Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who plays with the same fire and passion you used to see in guys like DeMeco Ryans. He would embody the new culture the Texans have.
We had Kalen King, the cornerback from Penn State, in this spot. However, after watching the NFL Combine and seeing where King tests out, he will likely be a guy who goes on day three. With four total cornerbacks entering free agency, the Texans will have to take at least one cornerback in this draft, and Lassiter is a guy they can use to make this defense elite.
Kamari Lassiter is a great fit for the Texans' defense
Because they are going to be without so many cornerbacks on the team, this pick isn't really about getting an outside guy or a nickel but more so getting the best guy available for the defensive back position. That's Lassiter, who is a top-five cornerback and a top-40 prospect in this draft.
According to A to Z Sports' Big Board, Lassiter has an unwavering presence patrolling the flats and is disruptive at the catch-point. He plays through the hands and attacks the ball. The Georgia defensive back has some of the more impactful jams at the line of scrimmage because of his strength and size. He forces wide receivers to fight through contact. Lassiter has quality route anticipation and response time from single coverage and crowds outside releases to the sideline. His good play strength to absorb contact at the top of the route helps make him a balanced open-field tackler
Lassiter had a great combine, and there is a chance that he is not available by the time the Texans pick. However, there is also a chance he is available, and if he is, the Texans have to take that swing, especially when you factor in his play style with the way Houston likes to play defense.
He is a press-man cornerback who can adapt in the zone, which is something Ryans would love on his team. Stingley is very similar but has grown in his zone abilities. Lassiter is physical and loves to get up close to the line of scrimmage. He will talk his stuff, and he will make sure the other team knows it; Lassiter has shown flashes of comparison to Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who just had the season of the best CB in the league after locking up the best WRs all year long.
Final word
The Houston Texans have to hit on as many of these draft picks as possible. Their window is at least the next two years, as C.J. Stroud is still on his rookie contract. That just makes these draft picks even harder to make.
Picking the best Round 1 draft target for the Houston Texans after the 2024 NFL Combine
The Texans can get a steal at 23.
