It’s become so regular at Texans’ training camp to see the secondary flying around and snagging passes out of the air.
Those aren’t fun moments for the offense, but it’s a message not being sent to just the Texans but the entire NFL. Nothing is coming easy against the Texans’ secondary this season.
“As good as we want to be,” Texans nickelback/safety Jalen Pitre said when I asked him how good the Texans’ secondary can be this season. “It’s all about the execution, making sure that we’re in the right spot. Then when the ball is in the air, it’s about making plays on the ball.”
And if the early part of training camp is any indication, the Texans’ secondary will be a ballhawk unit and could be one of the best to do it in the league this season. Last season, the Texans’ defense had the second-most interceptions in the league with 19.
Look for the Texans to best that easily.
The secondary was already among the best last season with Derek Stingley Jr. turning in the first of many All-Pro campaigns. Then you had cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock having breakout rookie seasons.
Instead of being satisfied that the future was intact, Texans general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans continued to push the envelope by adding veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who is fresh off winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He adds a whole other level to the defense. He fits in,” said Stingley, who in March signed a three-year, $90 million extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. “He’s going to fly around, he’s going to talk, he’s going to dance and do all that. He’s a good piece to the defense, I’m glad he’s here.”
“No matter who you go against, you know it’s going to be a good matchup. You’ve got to be real decisive with your movements and then when the ball comes to you, you’ve got to make a play on the ball no matter what. It’s going to be a competitive rep. So, really just go out there with the mindset that you’ve got to win.”
Texans rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins on facing the secondary in practice
The Texans also added cornerback Jaylin Smith (third round) and safety Jaylen Reed (sixth round) in this year’s NFL Draft to possibly give them one of the deepest secondaries around.
If it wasn’t solidified before, the backend of the Texans’ secondary is going to be something serious. All the unit needs is a little bit of pressure up front from defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, and the Texans will be a Pick-Six waiting to happen.
There is some concern at the safety spots right now with Gardner-Johnson’s knee injury and Jimmie Ward’s legal issues, but there isn’t panic because of the depth behind them.
“Shout-out to the staff upstairs. They just continue to bring in dogs,” Pitre said. “Kamari and Calen, we all know what they have done. But ‘Jayroc’ (Jaylin Smith) and J-Reed have done nothing but show up every day ready to work, dialed in, smart players.”
It shouldn’t be surprising that Ryans likes the secondary he and Caserio have put together and that he is excited to see just how dominant a unit it will be this season. If the early showings that made the offense look behind in camp mean anything, this will be fun to watch.
Ryans has had a front row view and it’s safe to say he has liked what he sees, even at the expense of his quarterbacks being intercepted at a clip.
“The secondary, they’re doing a really good job,” Ryans said to the Defender. “Guys are playing together. They’re communicating really well. You see Calen, Kamari, the young guys, they’re getting just more comfortable with what’s asked of them. They’re playing within the structures of the defense and still making plays. C.J., adding him back there, he’s done a really good job of getting acclimated to how we do things, done a great job of communicating and working with the young guys.
“So, I’m pleased with where the guys are in the back end. I think they can be a really strong unit for us, for our entire team. We need them to play well for us to have a good team.”
