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Jaylin Smith is a solid defensive player, but where will he line up for the Houston Texans long-term?
"If you saw Jaylin play in the perimeter formation; saw him play inside that formation," Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Friday evening. "Frank [Ross] thinks he can have an opportunity with the kicking game with his speed and toughness to maybe help us on the perimeter, whether it's on punt coverage or kickoff coverage."
Smith, the final pick of Day 2 for Houston in the 2025 NFL Draft, might end up being a promising defender and quality depth piece for the Texans this fall. He'll have to meet expectations since Houston traded picks Nos. 102 and 142 to Minnesota to get picks Nos. 97 and 187.
A three-year do-it-all defender, Smith started 31 of the 32 games since 2022. A native of Palmdale, Smith played nickel, outside corner and safety for the Trojans in his first two seasons before moving to the outside during his senior years.
In 2024, excelled as an open-field tackle, recording 58 stops with two interceptions and two pass breakups under first-year defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn. Smith's 82.6 defensive grade for defense from Pro Football Focus was the second-best mark on the Trojans behind only linebacker Eric Gentry.
While Smith is a solid player, most experts were perplexed that Houston would move up to draft a defensive back after trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson earlier in the offseason. And with other needs feeling more pressing, plus the cost to move up five spots, some think Caserio might have over drafted a player who would have been in play at No. 102.
Here is what some experts think about the Texans' selection of Ersery.
Cornerback didn't shape up as a particular area of concern for a secondary that already boasts Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter and nickel Jalen Pitre. Smith might be pigeonholed to working inside and sticking underneath, but he can add depth.
Houston didn't have a glaring need at defensive back after signing Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre to long-term deals. Even if they did, Smith is likely a nickel-only cornerback due to his small stature (5-foot-10, 187 pounds). He's fast but this is a huge reach for a team that could use resources elsewhere.
Shorter, compact CB without plus length yet a feisty style in man coverage. Quick feet and loose hips. There are times he takes an extra split second to close on the football. Mirroring is a clear plus to his game. Willing but very inconsistent tackler. Small tackling radius and can get bullied by bigger WRs blocking him. Good ball skills that come from body contortion. Limits to his game but an overachieving type.
Smith can help Jalen Pitre at nickel since the latter has dealt with injuries. Meanwhile, Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter have the outside locked down. Smith can play any of the cornerback spots, which creates more flexibility along the Texans’ secondary.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL experts give mixed grade on Texans selection of DB Jaylin Smith
Continue reading...
"If you saw Jaylin play in the perimeter formation; saw him play inside that formation," Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Friday evening. "Frank [Ross] thinks he can have an opportunity with the kicking game with his speed and toughness to maybe help us on the perimeter, whether it's on punt coverage or kickoff coverage."
Smith, the final pick of Day 2 for Houston in the 2025 NFL Draft, might end up being a promising defender and quality depth piece for the Texans this fall. He'll have to meet expectations since Houston traded picks Nos. 102 and 142 to Minnesota to get picks Nos. 97 and 187.
A three-year do-it-all defender, Smith started 31 of the 32 games since 2022. A native of Palmdale, Smith played nickel, outside corner and safety for the Trojans in his first two seasons before moving to the outside during his senior years.
In 2024, excelled as an open-field tackle, recording 58 stops with two interceptions and two pass breakups under first-year defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn. Smith's 82.6 defensive grade for defense from Pro Football Focus was the second-best mark on the Trojans behind only linebacker Eric Gentry.
While Smith is a solid player, most experts were perplexed that Houston would move up to draft a defensive back after trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson earlier in the offseason. And with other needs feeling more pressing, plus the cost to move up five spots, some think Caserio might have over drafted a player who would have been in play at No. 102.
Here is what some experts think about the Texans' selection of Ersery.
USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: C
Cornerback didn't shape up as a particular area of concern for a secondary that already boasts Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter and nickel Jalen Pitre. Smith might be pigeonholed to working inside and sticking underneath, but he can add depth.
USA Today Sports Ayrton Ostly: D
Houston didn't have a glaring need at defensive back after signing Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre to long-term deals. Even if they did, Smith is likely a nickel-only cornerback due to his small stature (5-foot-10, 187 pounds). He's fast but this is a huge reach for a team that could use resources elsewhere.
CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso: A
Shorter, compact CB without plus length yet a feisty style in man coverage. Quick feet and loose hips. There are times he takes an extra split second to close on the football. Mirroring is a clear plus to his game. Willing but very inconsistent tackler. Small tackling radius and can get bullied by bigger WRs blocking him. Good ball skills that come from body contortion. Limits to his game but an overachieving type.
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski: C+
Smith can help Jalen Pitre at nickel since the latter has dealt with injuries. Meanwhile, Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter have the outside locked down. Smith can play any of the cornerback spots, which creates more flexibility along the Texans’ secondary.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL experts give mixed grade on Texans selection of DB Jaylin Smith
Continue reading...
