Baylor Ex Jalen Pitre Impressing Early in NFL Camp
The Baylor Bears were the best team in Texas in 2021, both on the field, and in the NFL Draft.
They took home a Sugar Bowl trophy after dominating SEC opponent Ole Miss and had more players selected than any other program in the state.
The top selection of that group was safety Jalen Pitre, who went No. 37 overall to the Houston Texans in the second round of the Draft.
And so far through rookie minicamps and organized team activities, Pitre has impressed, catching the eye of his head coach, Lovie Smith,
“Jalen, he’s a sponge,” Smith said on May 24 during OTAs. “He’s picking up quickly.”
Pitre's ability to learn quickly should come as no surprise. For the Bears, he was the leader of the defense, finishing his senior season with 75 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections.
In five total seasons at Baylor, Pitre recorded 195 tackles with 140 solo hits and 8.0 sacks.
However, he wasn't always a safety, beginning his career at linebacker before moving positions in 2020-- a telltale sign of a cerebral player.
But despite that experience, even at multiple positions, Smith says Pitre still needs to get his reps in the Texans system.
Daniel Dunn, USA TODAY
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“He needs reps,” Smith said. “Offseason work helps those guys so much, and that local flavor is good also.”
The good news for Pitre is that he is used to earning his chance. He had to do the same thing at Baylor under Dave Aranda, and once he did, he thrived in the Bears system.
“The biggest thing that I learned was just to be patient with things and just to wait on my turn,” Pitre said on May 13 at rookie minicamp. “Coach Aranda is a very patient individual. That’s something I’ve been trying to work on.”
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