Jalen Pitre The Underrated Nickel Safety | Houston Texans News

Jalen Pitre is the unsung hero of the Houston Texans’ defense — a versatile nickel defender who’s tackling like a linebacker, shutting down tight ends and slot receivers, and helping the team reach the playoffs three times with two division titles. A former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, he’s the Texans’ only slot defender, excelling at stopping the run while locking down receivers — a role that’s so unique, it’s actually hurting his chances for safety awards. Despite being a first-team All-Pro vote-getter last year, he missed ESPN’s top safety list, with scouts calling him a “nickel who can play safety” and saying they’d love to have him. Over three seasons, he’s amassed 220+ tackles, 25 pass breakups, 5 interceptions, and a sack — and if there were a nickel-specific award, he’d likely be a top-three contender. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/17edbd1666038a9e