FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Texans rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter suffered a scapula injury against the Buffalo Bills and is expected to miss multiple games this month as he recovers from this relatively uncommon shoulder blade issue, according to league sources.
Lassiter is expected to ultimately make a full recovery this season with rest and rehabilitation and no surgery planned, per sources. Ruled out for Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots, Lassiter will be replaced primarily by reserve corner D’Angelo Ross.
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The scapula is the bone located in the back of the shoulder between the shoulder and the spine. Common symptoms include pain, immobility of the arm and affected area, swelling and bruising.
Not having Lassiter is a blow to a secondary that will lean heavily on Pro Bowl alternate corner Derek Stingley Jr. Behind Ross, the Texans have cornerbacks Ka’dar Hollman and Kris Boyd to fill in and primarily operate on special teams.
A second-round draft pick from Georgia, Lassiter has started every game and has recorded 15 tackles, two for losses, an interception of Chicago Bears rookie quarterback and top overall pick Caleb Williams and three passes defensed. He missed a tackle against Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman and allowed a 49-yard touchdown pass last Sunday.
Lassiter has a 58.0 pass coverage grade, according to Pro Football Focus analytics, in 180 coverage snaps. Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 9 of 24 passes against Lassiter for 193 yards.
Lassiter had a 90.2 pass coverage grade on seven targets with two catches allowed, the one interception that counted and a 0.0 passer rating against him, according to Pro Football Focus analytics, against the Bears.
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There were a lot of tangible reasons why the Texans were so confident in their decision to immediately plug in and play Lassiter.
The second-round draft pick has excelled in man-to-man coverage, applying sticky skills in mirroring receivers’ routes. Lassiter is ultra-competitive for the football, intercepting passes and disrupting others. And Lassiter, true to his form in the Southeastern Conference for an elite college defense, is a willing and hard-nosed tackler.
Lassiter is emblematic of what Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio want from their entire rookie class.
Selected 42nd overall and signed to a four-year, $9.014 million contract that includes a $3.376 million signing bonus, Lassiter has lived up to high expectations.
“It was really cool to see Kamari, the work that he’s putting in, really cool to see him reap the benefits of that,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the Chicago game. “Getting a pick is a matter of not just him, but it’s the rush, speeding up the quarterback and it’s Kamari having really good hands. That was a difficult catch to make as well. So, it was a really nice play by him.
“Man, credit to him. The kid has been consistent. I talk about it all the time. He’s been consistent where he needs to be every single play and he doesn’t press to make plays. Some guys get in the spot and they try to press to make a play, make a play and then you end up putting yourself in a bad position. He’s in the right position all the time and he benefitted from being able to make a pick.”
Lassiter yielded the lowest amount of passing yards last season in college football, according to Pro Football Focus analytics. He did a great job shadowing and limiting the production of first-round wide receivers Malik Nabers (LSU, Giants) and Xavier Legette (South Carolina, Carolina Panthers).
“Just to use Kamari as an example, Kamari was hardened by three years in Athens,” Texans executive director of player personnel James Liipfert said at the start of the season. “Really good program, kind of knew what we were getting from a worker standpoint and the guy just showed up and, really, he’s been the same guy since Day One. He’s done a really nice job.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
