How Texans rookie safety Jalen Pitre is emerging as impact player

HOUSTON – Jalen Pitre trusted his instincts, reacting on the fly with confidence when he recognized that the New Orleans Saints had called another running play.

The Texans’ precocious rookie safety earned his starting job in training camp by taking decisive actions and aggressively pursuing the football.

And the Stafford graduate and former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year’s preparation paid dividends during his first NFL preseason game.

In his professional debut, Pitre bolted into the Saints’ backfield to tackle running back Dwayne Washington for a loss of two yards.

By doing so, the second-round draft pick from Baylor signaled that his impressive performances in practice carry over in game situations.

Pitre covered a lot of ground to make that tackle during the Texans’ 17-13 victory at NRG Stadium, finishing his first game with four tackles.

Pitre was also in position to potentially pick off Saints backup quarterback Ian Book on a deflected pass that was intercepted by cornerback Tremon Smith.

On another play, Pitre penetrated the Saints’ backfield. He disrupted the rhythm of the play as safety Jonathan Owens knocked Washington backward on a hard hit that dislodged the football with the back recovering his own fumble.

Pitre was deployed all over the field with the first-string defense, lining up deep on both sides of the field and close to the line of scrimmage in another sequence.

The primary teachable moment for Pitre: Not reading a screen play quickly enough and getting caught up in a wave of blockers as Erik McCoy and James Hurst ran interference on Washington’s nine-yard touchdown catch off an Andy Dalton throw.

“I just had some fun out there with my teammates,” Pitre said afterward. “It was good to be playing against another team, and I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. I just try to keep it really simple, read my keys and do what I need to do. I wasn’t trying to think too much: just play football.”

Signed to an $8.95 million contract that includes a $3.692 million signing bonus, Pitre models his game after New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, a former All-Pro selection and Texans defensive captain, along with Arizona Cardinals standout safety Budda Baker.

A former consensus All-American, Pitre led Baylor with 18 tackles for losses in his final college season. He finished with 76 tackles total, had three sacks, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, and three fumble recoveries.

The Texans are encouraged by what they’ve seen so far from Pitre. That’s why they plugged him into an immediate starting job opposite Owens. The Texans are also planning to start rookie Derek Stingley Jr., a cornerback and third overall pick of the draft who was held out of the first preseason game for precautionary reasons.

“Jalen Pitre has been outstanding throughout camp,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “This is just another thing he has to go through. Right now from not analyzing the video, just like all camp, I like what he’s done.”

As well as Pitre has performed, he has maintained a humble, low-key approach. That falls in line with his unassuming, friendly personality. Pitre doesn’t think he has everything figured out yet.

“Yeah, I would say I’m still growing,” Pitre said. “I’m still understanding the playbook, understanding what offenses like to do in the NFL, and I love the game of football, so I love learning every day, and I feel like I’m doing that. I’m just continuing to go up. I feel like I haven’t really reached any plateau yet. I’ve got a long way to go.”

What makes Pitre stand out among the Texans’ rookie class is how he’s already emerging as a leader who has earned the respect of older players along with his absence of mental errors.

“He’s just very smart,” Texans nickel back Tavierre Thomas said. “That’s one of the smartest guys I’ve seen coming in, me going on my fifth year. You wouldn’t know that he’s a rookie. Like he ain’t make the little rookie mistakes.

“But other than that, you wouldn’t think he’s a rookie. When he’s not in, he’s calling out plays, calling out formations, so he knows the game. As long as he continues to do that, he’s going to be real good in the league.”

Although Stingley hasn’t made his game debut yet, he’s had plenty of flash plays in camp shadowing wide receivers, including holding his own against veteran Brandin Cooks. The Texans envision Stingley and Pitre forming a cornerstone tandem in an overhauled secondary.

“Stingley, you know, he’s great,” Pitre said. “He’s a guy that I lean on when talking about different things that the offense is trying to do. I love playing with him and I love being out there with him. We’re always talking about what we’re about to get and I feel like me and him are going to be great together.”

During a practice session early in camp, Pitre saw a collision unfolding in front of him as Thomas and linebacker Neville Hewitt converged on wide receiver Chris Conley, popping the football into the air. And Pitre pounced on the opportunity, diving forward for his first interception of camp. It was a big play, but it didn’t come as a surprise.

“That boy is a dog,” Texans tight end Brevin Jordan said. “I’m excited for him. He’s instinctual, he plays fast and he’s already out there making plays.”

The Texans like Pitre’s aggressive, fired-up style of play and his versatility.

“He plays with his hair on fire,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said after drafting Pitre. “Versatile player, they used him a little bit inside in the slot. He played safety, so he has some position versatility. I think he might have a role in the kicking game. Tough, instinctive football player, loves playing football. His energy was infectious when he was in the building.

“I would say Jalen falls in the category of embodying the types of people and players that we want to have in this building. Kind of their vigor and joy playing football. You see it in the way that he plays. He plays with his hair on fire.”

At 5-foot-11, 198 pounds, Pitre packs a lot of power into a regular-sized frame. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and posted a 35-inch vertical leap prior to the NFL draft. That means he’s more than fast enough and can jump high to knock down passes against taller wide receivers and tight ends.

“He’s probably the most consistent rookie I’ve seen in my years,” Texans linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis said. “He’s just one of the guys. He is a rookie, but he doesn’t play like one.”

The respect of his older teammates is emotionally significant for Pitre, as is the support of having his family in the stands cheering him on.

“It was good to be out there against another team,” Pitre said. “The energy and the vibes in the stadium was great. It was good to be playing in front of the fans. I’m happy they came out and showed out.”

Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and a contributor to KPRC Sports and Click2houston.com

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