On Wednesday, the Houston Texans held their first Organized Team Activities (OTAs) practice of 2025. Though there is a lot to be excited about on the 2025 Texans roster, many fans will focus on the offense and the new weapons that were added for C.J Stroud this offseason. Yet, Texans fans should be keeping as close of an eye on the defense as they are the offense, given the talent on that side of the ball.
One defender that stood out quickly on the first day of OTAs was second-year cornerback Kamari Lassiter. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC, Lassiter had an impressive practice where he matched up well with Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins and was batting away passes from Davis Mills. If Lassiter puts more practice like this togeherit could pay big dividends for Houston come the regular season.
Kamari Lassiter had a Strong Showing on the First Day of OTAs
Last offseason, Houston selected Lassiter with the 42nd pick in the second round. The 22-year-old had an up-and-down rookie season. He finished the year with 58 tackles, 10 pass deflections and three interceptions while allowing a 43.8% completion percentage against him. Moreover, he received a 72.6 grade in coverage (38/222 CBS), according to PFF.
Unfortunately, he did have an average depth of target(Adot) of 13.3 yards. This can be looked at from two different ways. The first being, though the Adot is high, it means Lassiter did a good job covering the shallow parts 0-10 yards) of the field. However, once a route got past ten yards, he struggled.
Alternatively, some fans may call him a bad corner since he was unable to cover deep. Either way you slice it, if Lassiter can keep improving during OTAs and training it massivly helps the Texans.
Imagine if Lassiter is able to develop into a great coverage corner opposite of All-Pro Derek Stingley. Then, Houston's defense would be a nightmare for even the likes of Patrick Mahomes to face.