The Bucs might look to upgrade their secondary early.

When the Bucs traded away Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions in March, that opened speculation that they might seek a youth movement at the position.

In a deep draft class full of interesting corners, the Bucs will have their shot at a plethora of talented young men with 4 picks in the first 100. Will they find intrigue in someone like Kamari Lassiter?

KAMARI LASSITER’S COLLEGIATE CAREER

A 4-star recruit and No. 2 cornerback in the state of Alabama behind only Kool-Aid McKinstry, Lassiter fielded multiple Power 5 offers before deciding to return to his home state of Georgia to play for the Bulldogs.

He played 15 games as a reserve for the 2021 National Championship winner, but he still recorded 3 passes defensed and an interception (the only one of his college career) with sparse playing time. He then took over as full-time outside starter in 2022 and helped the team to a second-consecutive national title — he recorded 38 tackles (5 for loss) and 4 passes defensed.

He earned second-team All-SEC last season while starting all 14 games and tallying 37 tackles (3.5 for loss) and 8 passes defensed.

PRO DAY AND SCOUTING COMBINE

Lassister produced some mixed results during the draft cycle ahead of NFL Draft weekend on April 25.

During the NFL Combine, Lassiter measured a shade shy of 6-foot and weighed in around 186 pounds with a 73 3/4” wingspan (30 7/8” arms). He did only the positional and agility drills but made them count with an excellent 6.62 three-cone (the best at the event) and a 4.12 short shuttle.

At Georgia’s Pro Day on March 13, Lassiter again declined to do jumps and struggled in his runs by posting a concerning 4.64 40-yard dash with 2.69 and 1.58 20- and 10-yard splits, respectively. These are, objectively, some of the worst times you could hope to see from an NFL Draft prospect at the cornerback position.

Per Relative Athletic Score (RAS), Lassiter ranked bottom-third percentile in the 40 and 20-yard split and barely average in the 10. Overall, he ranks as a middle-of-the-pack athlete.

Per Next Gen Stats, Lassiter ranks even worse. Their scale (out of 100) puts him at an estimated 58 athletic score, which ranked 34th among corners who attended the combine.

WHAT LASSITER CAN DO FOR THE Bucs IN 2024

Lassiter is not a player who screams “ready to contribute” immediately as a rookie.

He does not excel as an HWS athlete, which hasn’t always scared Jason Licht away in the past at the position (Carlton Davis is a good example), but that means that his technique and football IQ will need to be pristine to get on the field consistently for Todd Bowles’s defense.

He’s not quite there yet.

While Lassiter is instinctive and reactive with good eye discipline, which are all paramount skills in a heavy zone scheme like Tampa’s, Lassiter is too grabby and that will earn him flags early as he adjusts to NFL speed and strength. He’s very competitive, active in run support, and is always looking to mix it up, and that’s good, but it just needs tempering.

Without that superior understanding and consistency though, the problematic long speed and lack of playing the ball in the air (no interceptions as a starter in two years) really stand out issues that need attention from the get-go.

THREE-YEAR OUTLOOK

Lassiter has obstacles to overcome, but that certainly doesn’t make him a bad player.

He’s tenacious, intelligent and keeps his head on a swivel, and he’s a smooth mover despite the lack of overall speed. Those are traits that can translate into a successful career as long as he lands with a coaching staff that understands his limitations and places him in situations to succeed.

Lassiter’s traits could make him an interesting chess piece for a Bucs team that does frequently cross-train its defensive backs to play different positions. Lassiter could be very appealing as a nickel back with his short-area quickness and tackling enthusiasm, and he might even excel as a safety who can play from the top down.

An exploration year to understand Lassiter’s potential in different secondary spots would likely be beneficial for both player and team. Lassiter does have extensive special teams experience (325 career snaps) so that would mean he could contribute.

With Tampa’s long-term future at cornerback murky, the possibilities are wide open for Lassiter to seize a starting job in years 2 or 3.

STOCK REPORT

The general consensus on Lassiter is a rock-solid Day 2 player.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler named Lassiter his 10th overall cornerback and No. 62 overall (which translates into a 2nd/3rd round player). Brugler called Lassiter’s play recognition and competitiveness “off the charts” but acknowledged that his underdeveloped frame and lack of elite physical traits will hurt him at a position where strength and speed are high priorities.

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NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein ranked Lassiter at 6.22 — meaning he sees him as an eventual average starter. He slots in as Zierlein’s CB14, with the latter writing:

“Spunky but slender with the mentality to sift through the highs and lows that come with the position. Lassiter has the athleticism and dog to play press-man coverage and all forms of zone.”

Finally, Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings was the highest of the three on Lassiter, ranking him as his CB8 and 49th overall on the BR big board. He had this to say:

“When in coverage, Lassiter has a smooth backpedal and quick feet to transition. He possesses good route recognition and understanding of concepts. When in zone coverage, he does a great job of splitting threats with good leverage and spacing. He shows good reaction to the ball in the air but plays with his eyes in the backfield, too often looking for the big play.”

ON THE CLOCK…

Alright, Bucs Nation, would you like to see Lassiter as a partner for Jamel Dean, Antoine Winfield Jr., and the rest of the Gravediggers? Let us know in the poll and comments.