Is Jalen Pitre Lions' No. 1 Safety of the Future?

Read more on whether the Detroit Lions should target Baylor safety Jalen Pitre in the 2022 NFL Draft.

There is so much cornerbacks talk in the first round that we all but forget about the safeties.

However, anyone who has seen safety Jalen Pitre at Baylor has probably never forgotten him, and neither have those who have lined up against him.

Pitre is a prospect who most recently was included in CBS Sports' first-round mock, going No. 30 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. After evaluating him, it is easy to see why.

In my 40 years of watching the game, I have never seen anyone quite like Pitre. He is like a safety, a cornerback and a linebacker all rolled into one.

Pitre makes the Notre Dame safety prospect Kyle Hamilton look like he came out of a gumball machine. Pitre will be a dream for an NFL defensive coordinator, because there are so many things that can be done with him schematically. 

The only major downside about Pitre is he did not spend much time lining up in a traditional deeper safety look while at Baylor, and it showed on the rare occasion where he was asked to provide help over the top. Most of Pitre’s time at Baylor was playing down in the box and covering slot receivers.

Pitre is a piranha on the football field who logged 75 tackles (56 solo), two forced fumbles, two interceptions and seven passes defensed in 2021. There is additional value in the fact that Pitre is not a one-year-wonder, either. 

In 2020, Pitre put up 60 tackles (41 solo), two interceptions and two passes defensed. So, he brings a level of consistency, too.

He carried that consistency right through to the recent Senior Bowl, as the Pro Football Network called Pitre “arguably the biggest winner in the defensive secondary.”

In the one-on-ones on day one and day two of Senior Bowl practices, Pitre held his own when matched up against wide receiver prospects Bo Melton, Braylon Sanders and Christian Watson - - and that is anything but easy to do for safeties. 

The lack of hip flexibility did show up on tight break point routes in those practices against receivers Alec Pierce and Khalil Shakir, which is why Pitre projects to safety.

It is doubtful that Pitre drops to the Lions at the bottom of the first round, with safety-hungry Philadelphia owning the No. 15, No. 16 and No. 19 picks in the first round. And, if the Eagles were to pass on him, Pitre is exactly the kind of star prospect that Dallas’ Jerry Jones (pick No. 24) would fall in love with.

Players like Pitre are truly generational talents. He would change the entire complexion of Detroit’s defense in a day and age when getting to the quarterback and pass coverage are the name of the game on defense. Pitre, by the way, can do both.

This guy is like a "heat-seeking missile" blitzing. To say he can close would be an understatement.

Additionally, he is my early pick to become the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Chuck Cook, USA TODAY Sports

#8 Jalen Pitre - 6-foot-0, 197 pounds

2021 game film reviewed: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and BYU

Grade: First round

Scouting Report

Dynamic and versatile, difference-making safety, with excellent football playing speed and a high aggression level. A new breed of safety who can be moved around. Spent considerable time down in the box, and matched up against slot receivers. Competitive and gives receivers a lot to handle. 

In passing situations, he looked alert and active. Flies around and showed good range. Provides support. Good ball skills. Dangerous on the blitz, accelerates fast and hard toward the passer. 

In running situations, he is physical, and shows a high level of desire. Good form tackler. Can slice in and blow things up. Play-making attitude. Questionable instincts on a couple of plays, but outside of that, he did not show glaring negatives. Blue-chip prospect.

After ranking No. 28 in rushing yards allowed per game (135.1) and ranking No. 23 in passing yards allowed per game (244.7) in 2021, Detroit needs to find a way to land this game-changer on draft day. He is the kind of player who would be worth Detroit trading its No. 32 pick this year and first-round pick next year to go and get.

Pitre is a true difference-maker, who would make a world of difference for the Lions at a position they have been very weak at.