Texans newest CB is a mixed bag of tenacity, agility, and fragility
If the Houston Texans are assembling the Avengers in their secondary, their newest addition packs the same punch and brings the same mentality to the team as the current cast. The small, hard-nosed defensive back played just about every position on USC’ secondary over his four seasons.
In today’s film review, we will analyze the 2024, but a further dive into his 2023 film will be necessary as that’s when he played the nickel role he’ll most likely return to.
Past Texans 2025 Draft Pick Film Reviews:
Utilizes trail techniques to mirror the wide receiver. This works well against bigger receivers or tight ends, but when facing speed he lost leverage several times against Oregon.
Cornerback is my far and away least favorite position to review. The amount of nuance that occurs in their positioning, hand placement, leverage, coverage requirements, and is extremely difficult to
What we can control for is evaluating footwork, reaction time, tackling, getting burned, effort against the run, and stickiness on routes.
Fact of the matter is that Houston uses nickel personnel second most in the league and that predicates having multiple quality cornerbacks and safeties. Houston was at a loss without Jalen Pitre late in 2024 and they found a cheap and efficient option to
Jaylin Smith is a typical DeMeco Ryans style CB – athleticism and speed are secondary to mentality, vision, and tenacity. Smith won’t be asked to play Cover 1 and stick with a receiver downfield, instead he’ll start as a situational nickel/safety with impact on special teams. Keeping him closer to the line of scrimmage to emphasize his run support will accentuate not only his play style but the team’s scheme in 2025.
This was Smith’s high school scouting report… at least one high school scout got it right:
Undersized safety who has incredible instincts, toughness and is always around the ball. Has a corner frame and does cover well but is more comfortable playing safety where he see the field and react. Isn’t afraid to come up in run support and is a very sure tackler. Can break down and make plays in space and always plays hard with a lot of energy and emotion. Projects as a impact upper tier Power 5 starter and future mid round NFL draft pick.
Michigan Film:
Sticks his nose in the running game and caps off the defensive gap responsibilities with vigor. His scrappiness at the point of contact is extremely raw; he’s swiping, yanking, pulling, and handsy. Honing in on his aggression at the catch point will pair enthusiasm with technique. This game was by far his highest grade of the season. His defense on the goal line on second and goal from the three saved a touchdown. Michigan provided quality tape of his run defense, but less on his coverage skills.
Notre Dame Film: HERE (Youtube won’t allow this embed)
A competitive game against a broken USC team and a playoff-bound Notre Dame offered more film geared towards supporting the run. Smith was targeted in the pass game several times here. He mainly guarded tight ends and bigger receivers, as is his protocol. However, when matched up against a slot receiver he gave away 5+ yards of space on an out route.
Minnesota Film
The commentators credit him with playing a great game, but there weren’t many passes thrown his way. The stark difference in quality of play when in press vs off coverage is distinct. He is far better guarding at the line of scrimmage than reading a receiver and breaking on the route. His run game support is definitely a plus in this game too. In the fourth quarter (1:53:15) he gets called for an extremely suspect pass interference in the red zone. That pass interference weighed heavily on his PFF grade this game, which was his lowest of the season.
Strengths:
- Plays the run with fantastic leverage and form
- Press coverage weaponizes his gritty play style
- Tenacity at catch point is evident when he is in the right place
- Most “SWARM” mentality player of draft class; fits defensive theme and tone
- Plays both sides of the field which is important in Houston’s defense
Weaknesses:
- Ankle tackler in space which won’t work in the NFL against bigger running backs
- Consistently injured throughout college
- Small frame limits ceiling to play outside corner or box safety
- Off coverage leaves a lot to be desired; appears to guess instead of anticipate
- Multiple instances of extremely poor effort tackling against Minnesota
The Fit in Houston:
Arguably no one has moved up the depth chart more this offseason than Smith as Jimmie Ward was arrested and Ronald Darby chose to retire. He will walk in as the bona-fide backup cornerback and can push Myles Bryant as the backup nickel corner behind Jalen Pitre.
His position versatility will make him a depth piece across the entire defense. He will be an immediate impact starter on special teams as a gunner. His ability to start at nickel will be the goal, but right now dime packages taking on WR4s and TE2 will be his role on the defense. Scheme-wise, he’s a great fit and depth piece for the Texans. I prefer him closer to the center of the field than out on the corners. The three games featured several instances of poor effort, which will not stand in a Texans defense.
Overall Analysis:
While third round feels like a reach, Jaylin Smith needs to refine his playing style and effort before making a considerable impact on this deep Texans defense. The litany of injuries doesn’t bode well for his long-term potential given his smaller frame. While the three games I watched didn’t provide a treasure trove of passes in a run-heavy Big 10, there’s enough consistency on tape to identify his skill.
What intrigues me the most is his development as it relates to the Texans evolution on defense. Don’t be surprised if Houston uses Smith as a third safety in dime packages later in the season. DeMeco knows that offenses now have two seasons of film on his Texans defense, and if they don’t evolve, opposing teams will pick them apart.