2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter.

#3 Kamari Lassiter/CB Georgia – 5114, 186 pounds (Junior)

Combine

MEASUREMENTS

*Pro Day Figures

The Good

– Durable and dependable
– High football IQ and instincts
– Has the ability to mirror his matchup in man coverage because of his quick feet and hips
– Good ball skills despite limited turnover production
– Has shown power as a tackler and is good at wrapping up to limit YAC
– High-instincts zone player, passes off assignments well while finding work
– Not limited by a specific scheme
– Moved around a lot on the field, has experience at RCB, LCB, and NCB
– Leader of Georgia’s secondary in 2023

The Bad

– Undersized for his position and style of play
– Gets beat when a receiver has a good first move off the line of scrimmage
– Can get very grabby when in man coverage
– Susceptible to holding penalties when he can’t locate the ball
– Willing to support the run but, when blocked, can get swallowed up
– Has good ball skills but cannot complete turnovers when opportunities are available
– Limited athletic upside and will have average test numbers

Bio

– Turned 21 years old on Jan. 23.
– Born in Savannah, Ga., and moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to go to American Christian Academy, where he became a four-star recruit and committed to Georgia in 2020.
– Coached in high school by Chris Smelley, who played quarterback at the University of South Carolina from 2006-2008 under Steve Spurrier.
– His mother, “Miss Kammie,” sacrificed and worked multiple jobs to allow Kamari to go to private school.
– Played both wide receiver (2,488 yds and 35 TDs) and defensive back (210 tackles 10 INT 4 FF) in high school.
– Appeared in all 15 games as a true freshman, and over his collegiate career, recorded a snap in all 44 games that he was eligible for while starting 29 of them.
– Led the Bulldogs in pass breakups in 2023 with eight and finished his career with 15 PBUs and 1 INT.
– Over his two years as a full-time starter, he allowed only a 47% completion rate, and in his final year at Georgia, he only allowed a 38% completion rate without any touchdowns surrendered.
– Second-team All-SEC selection in 2023.

Tape Breakdown

Kamari Lassiter had a challenging upbringing after leaving Savannah, Ga., but it shaped him into a confident and powerful corner who can cover and also support the defense from a run perspective. His intuition as a former successful wide receiver in high school directly impacts how he plays as a corner, gambling on routes, something that can both help and hurt his play. He’s a toolsy but undersized corner who may eventually have to move into the slot but no doubt has a future at the next level.

Even as a corner, his best and most impactful skill is his ability to tackle and diagnose both the run game and screens. He’s always had a willingness to tackle, but coming into his junior year, there was a definitive change of ideology on how to tackle. Throughout his sophomore year, he got caught diving at legs and going for a big hit instead of chopping his feet and wrapping up. He’s improved immensely, and when a receiver does catch a ball in his area, he’s able to get him to the ground and prevent YAC.

These two plays almost look like replays, but Lassiter is that consistent of a tackler and has a very good ability to diagnose screens while getting through weak wide receiver blocks.

In coverage, Lassiter is a fluid mover, whether in man or zone. His ability mainly comes from extremely quick feet that, when paired with his instincts, allows him to almost run the route for the receiver. While undersized on the outside, Lassiter uses the sideline to his advantage and is good at forcing receivers into tough positions to complete a catch. Against both Florida and South Carolina, he high points the ball to contest the catch while forcing the receiver toward the sideline.

He can run into trouble in coverage when he is up against a receiver with the ability to put his foot in the ground and change direction quickly. While Lassiter has fluid hips and feet, he is unable to make turns as quickly as some receivers.

His other major issue is his difficulty playing press man, his inability to jam receivers off the line putting him in a disadvantageous position not even five yards down the field. Against Ohio State in the 2022 college football playoffs, he was targeted by C.J. Stroud on both corner and post routes when lined up in man coverage. While OSU boasts one of the top receiver rooms year in and year out, it will be the level of competition he faces on a weekly basis at the next level. Here, he is turned around so badly that he is barely seen on tape.

This leads to him being grabby and susceptible to both pass interference and holding penalties. Even on plays when no penalty is called — and there appears to be solid coverage — there is a lot of tugging on opponents’ jerseys. He will have to clean up at the next level, or he will be along for the ride on plays against receivers like Diontae Johnson, for example.

Against South Carolina, even though the pass is not completed, Lassiter is unable to stick with his man after Spencer Rattler rolls outside the pocket to extend the play. As a boundary corner, this could be a limitation that may eventually force him to slide inside to nickel, which he would fit because of his willingness in the run game.

Conclusion

There is a lot of buzz surrounding cornerback Kamari Lassiter. who could be next in the long line of cornerbacks to come out of Georgia. He is an instinctual player who is one of the best tacklers in this year’s draft and is willing to lay the wood when making tackles. He’s shown that he can cover in both man and zone and is proficient in run support.

While there is no doubt his name will be called during the 2024 NFL Draft, there are limitations that stem from the lack of pressing. Plus, when matched up against quicker receivers, he tends to struggle. He could be a candidate to move inside where he could thrive in both run support and zone, which he has exposure to. Whichever team decides to take him will be getting a corner who is ready from Day One to compete.

Projection: Mid-Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.0 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (3rd Round)
Games Watched: vs Ohio State (2022), vs Florida (2023), vs South Carolina (2023)