When you think of cornerbacks in the NFL, you generally think of them as coverage guys. Not exactly the toughest or grittiest bunch. More Deion Sanders, less Troy Polamalu. Yes, Polamalu is a safety but the comparison stands. Corners aren’t known for their toughness.
That was, until today perhaps. Recently, the Houston Texans drafted Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter in the second round, despite running a 4.63 40-yard dash. It confused fans everywhere. Not because the team took a corner, they really did need help at corner, but because they took one that wasn’t exactly known for his speed.
Yet, as it turns out, he may be known for something else. Speaking to the media via the Houston Texans YouTube channel, Lassiter revealed that he’d play everywhere that they want him to. Not only was he willing to play across the secondary, but Lassiter also revealed just how nitty gritty he was going to get with the Texans, saying;
““I feel like the Texans are coming back with a different kind of mindset. They’re bringing a different approach to the game, and I feel like the staff is bringing in a lot of the guys who have the same mindsets – you know, guys that really want to be successful, who’re willing to eat off the floor — and I feel like I add that to the team.””
Lassiter has an uphill struggle to prove he’s got the skills and specifically speed needed to play corner in the NFL, and while it seems like he may not be the prototypical speedster at the position, he does seem to have the right mentality. He’s not looking to just settle into a spot, he wants to earn it. He wants to prove his worth as a player and he seems to have a distinct edge that not a lot of corners have.
What Lassiter lacks in top-end speed, he may more than make up for with power and determination.
