Is One Flaw Preventing Texans' Safety Jalen Pitre From Being Elite?
The Houston Texans spent their first two selections of the 2022 NFL Draft on defensive backs Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre, hoping to accomplish the first step in revamping their defense.
Despite playing just nine games his rookie year, Stingley was considered to be one of the better young cornerbacks in the NFL as he allowed zero touchdowns. Pitre shined even brighter as the safety recorded the 11th-most tackles (147) and tied for the second-most interceptions (5) in the NFL.
The only asset Pitre still needs to perfect is his pass coverage. He wasn't targeted often, but of the 31 times the ball traveled near him, the receiver caught it 23 times (74.2 percent). Part of learning how to solve this issue is with patience, something Pitre has emphasized he'll use this offseason.
"I feel like I developed good patience throughout the year," Pitre said. "It's also one of those things that you could never perfect. So I'm trying to build on that and trying to just slow my eyes down, and that will allow me to play faster and make those plays that need to be made."
Despite his stellar numbers, Pitre was left off of PFF's top 32 safeties list. If he continues to work on his patience during training camp and in the regular season, his coverage-win percentages may improve
The Texans signed former 49ers safety Jimmie Ward, not only aiming to further improve the secondary but also to mentor Stingley and Pitre as they enter year 2. Ward's leadership helped San Francisco safety Talanoa Hufanga earn his first All-Pro selection in just his second season.
After just one season, the second-round pick became a big name in Houston. If he fixes his numbers in pass coverage while maintaining his tackle and interception stats, he could become a household name in the entire NFL.
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