Houston Texans Draft Grade: Jalen Pitre adds much-needed help in secondary
The Houston Texans have made their pick in the second round for the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Houston Texans have improved at safety and in the secondary as a whole by drafting Baylor safety Jalen Pitre at No. 37 overall, the fifth pick of the second round.
It was no secret Houston needed to give their secondary a much-needed spark, and that’s where the 2022 NFL Draft has come into play big-time in the first two rounds.
Thus far, the Texans have selected Derek Stingley with the third overall pick on Thursday night, adding the needed cornerback depth, and now with the Texans adding a safety, the defense is being rebuilt in real time this weekend.
As for Pitre, he had a NFL.com prospect grade of 6.25 (out of 8.0) saying he’ll “eventually become an average starter,” but with the past of general manager Nick Caserio working for his former team, the one thing he knows is how to draft players, and better yet, how to scout players.
Pitre might not be the tallest player (5’11”) and he weighs in at 198 pounds, so even though his height might work against him, his level of play more than makes up for it.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote highly of Pitre as they said he played the “star position” at Bayler, something that he might not be able to do with the Texans:
"“Pitre is a coach’s dream with exceptional competitive drive and desired intangibles for teams where locker room culture matters. “"
Texans: What grade do the Texans get for drafting Jalen Pitre?
B+. . Cornerback. Houston Texans. JALEN PITRE
The best part about this draft pick at No. 37 overall is the fact this was the perfect spot to draft a safety, giving Houston three selections in the first 37 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Looking at the numbers of Pitre from his final season at Baylor, he finished the ’21 season with two interceptions, three forced fumbles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Pitre will help replace Justin Reid who left Houston in free agency (signing with the Kansas City Chiefs), so the new era of head coach Lovie Smith’s defense in Houston starts with Stingley at cornerback and now Pitre at safety.
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Everyone had better start getting excited for a new brand of Texans defense moving forward, as this was a very nice pick made by Houston and Caserio.