NFL analyst names Texans CB competition among training camp battles to watch

The Houston Texans appear to be set to make a deep playoff run this year. Many of the requisite pieces are in place: they have their hot young head coach, their franchise quarterback, their deep receiver corps and a defense that looks to be strong both up front and on the back end. None of this is guaranteed, though. Injuries always take their toll and staying competitive throughout the season requires a ton of schematic adjustments on both sides of the ball, to say nothing of the inherently up-and-down nature of defensive performance in this league, especially in the secondary.

One question mark hanging over this team is if they have enough depth at cornerback, which is something Super Bowl contenders always manage to take advantage of if the answer is no. On paper it's a good group, led by Derek Stingley Jr. playing one boundary and Desmond King II in the slot. The other boundary is far from settled, though and who wins this particular battle could have a huge impact on Houston's season.

Over at NFL.com Kevin Patra has named the Texans' CB2 battle between rookie Kamari Lassiter and vets C.J. Henderson and Jeff Okudah as one of the top training camp competitiions to watch this year.

"Another CB battle for a spot alongside an established player. Derek Stingley Jr. broke out last season as a true CB1. The question is, who will man the other outside corner spot? Okudah, Henderson and Lassiter, a second-round pick in April, all should get a shot at the job. Okudah and Henderson haven't lived up to their high draft status, and each has bounced around the league. Lassiter worked with the first-team defense during OTAs, and the door could be opened for the rookie to start out of the gate."

Whoever winds up starting Week 1 at this spot, Texans fans should be hoping that Lassiter eventually wrestles away that spot and takes over full-time opposite Stingley. Houston invested a second-round pick in Lassiter this year, while Henderson and Okudah are both on cheap one-year deals.

In the run-up to the 2024 NFL draft, scouts considered Lassiter a third-round prospect, with his athleticism being a potential weakness as he posted an average 6.24 RAS score. Most of all the question will be if he has enough size to cover receivers along the boundary or if he'd be better suited to play the slot. Expect opponents to try to find that out quickly.

We'll get our first look at Lassiter in the Hall of Fame against the Bears game one week from Thursday.