Kamari Lassiter Struggled in Coverage

Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter managed to get into the first-round discussion of the 2024 NFL Draft, but his game film does not support that valuation.

While Lassiter is physical and aggressive providing support, he leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to coverage in these seven games studied spanning two seasons (2022 and 2023).

That hasn’t stopped other draft platforms from mocking him into the first round.

Barstool Sports, Yahoo Sports, NFL.com, NBC Sports, LA Times, Pro Football Focus, CBS Sports, 247Sports, 33rd Team, Pro Football Network, Bleacher Report, The Athletic and Draftwire have all tagged Lassiter with a first-round grade since January 1 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

The name of the game at corner is having confidence and an elite skill set. Things like agile hips, short-area burst, great anticipation and long-range speed are preferred.

That’s where things went south for Lassiter on game film.

Pass Coverage

This is where it’s at with 32/32 NFL teams now passing the ball more than 50% of the time (teamrankings.com).

Finding elite cover corners is like buying the winning lottery ticket. Anything less than having elite corners is a recipe for losing.

Don’t get me wrong, Lassiter gives a great effort, but there are a few things that cause him to continuously get beat.

• Hesitancy
• Slight tightness in his hips
• Poor anticipation
• Lack of recovery speed
• Providing too much cushion to receivers

Does that sound like a first-round cornerback to you?

It doesn’t to me.

Problematic routes

Intermediate comeback routes were a huge problem in these games. Receivers caught practically every one of them that were thrown in his direction.

Any kind of route featuring a distinct breakpoint proved to be a challenge.

A quick double move by a Missouri receiver also left him in the dust.

Basically, any kind of route that exposed the aforementioned weaknesses that were spraypainted all over his game film.

Run defense

Lassiter is everything an NFL team would want in terms of run support.

He’s aggressive and focused.

This Bulldogs cornerback isn’t afraid to stick his nose in there and either make the tackle or at the very least, end up in position.

There is a value in that. Too many NFL cornerbacks don’t want to get involved or are reluctant to get involved when it comes to stopping the run.

That’s not Lassiter.

Nickel

I don’t see how an NFL team can start Lassiter at either cornerback spot and win with him.

While the stiffness in his hips does present a problem on routes featuring breakpoints by slot receivers, Lassiter’s good straight-line speed and coverage ability would work.

He’s also a force to be reckoned with in support.

This is where I see him best settling in.

#3 Kamari Lassiter 6-foot-0, 180 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 NFL Draft Grade: Fourth-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 29.5% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of April 4, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Tennessee, Oregon, and Florida (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2023 game film reviewed: Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee

2023 stats: 37 tackles (21 solo), 16 assists, 0 interceptions, 8 passes defended

Pro Football Focus:

2022: 547 coverage snaps, 55 targets, 32 receptions, 2 touchdowns allowed, 94.7 passer rating

2023: 408 coverage snaps, 39 targets, 15 receptions, 0 touchdowns allowed, 48.7 passer rating

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Long arms and broad upper body frame with average speed and agility. Athletic build. Vibe of confidence and aggression. Demonstrative. More of an after-the-fact defender than a playmaker. Mostly off-man, with some press and zone coverage. Smooth initial peddle. Pays attention to receivers. Good spatial awareness. Movements generally look fluid when moving around in space. Maintains route leverage. Dependable in support.

Final words

Lassiter is a limited role player who moves the meter due to his aggressive nature.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.