Jalen Pitre selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the NFL Draft

The Houston Texans selected Jalen Pitre with the 37th-overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. 

The 6-foot-0, 197-pound safety finished his senior season with 75 tackles, 18.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.

He was named a consensus All-American as he became Baylor’s 18^th all-time and first since 2019. The playmaking safety was also named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

After a historic senior season, Pitre went to Mobile, Alabama to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and received rave reviews.

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Pitre was able to build on his Senior Bowl performance with strong showings at the NFL Combine and at Baylor’s Pro Day. Per usual, he wowed scouts with his on the field work and his interviews while also surprising many with his higher than expected testing numbers. He posted a 4.46 40-time, a 4.15 shuttle, a 119-inch broad jump, a 35-inch vertical, and a 6.74 3-cone drill.

Pitre is the first Baylor defensive back to be selected in the draft since 2016 when Xavien Howard was selected with the 38th-overall pick in the second round. He is the sixth Baylor defensive back all-time to be selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.

Lance Zierlein, a draft anaylyst for NFL.com, had this to say about Pitre: “Pitre is a coach's dream with exceptional competitive drive and desired intangibles for teams where locker room culture matters. He became an impact player in Baylor coach Dave Aranda's "Star" position but he might not have the physical tools to stay in a similar role as a pro. He's a little tight in his lowers, which could impact his success in man coverage. He might benefit from a scheme that allows him to play with more linear pursuit. Pitre played well at the Reese's Senior Bowl and tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day. He could develop into a future NFL starter as a Day 2 selection.