How good is the Houston Texans’ secondary entering 2026?
In a sense, slightly underrated by Pro Football Focus compared to other rankings around the NFL, most notably at cornerback.
PFF recently revealed its top 32 cornerbacks for the 2026 season, with both Kamari Lassiter and two-time All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. ranked inside the top 10. Stingely, who has been arguably the second-best cornerback since 2024 behind former Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, came in at No. 7 overall, behind names like Surtain, Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon and Indianapolis’ Sauce Gardner.
The reason? Yards before contact.
“Stingley experienced a bit of a volatile 2025 campaign in coverage last season, but his elite ball skills still allowed him to tally four interceptions and nine pass breakups,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “His 73.5 PFF coverage grade ranked 23rd among all qualified cornerbacks. Over the past three years, Stingley slots second among qualified cornerbacks with a 90.3 coverage grade. He and Kamari Lassiter make a good case to be labeled the NFL’s best cornerback duo.”
While Stingley was low at No. 7, the Texans were one of two teams to feature two cornerbacks in the top 10. Lassiter, who appeared at No. 9, broke out last season as a legitimate elite shutdown defender, grading out in both run defense and coverage with an elite score over 80.
“Lassiter was immediately made a starter after being selected in the second round of the 2024 draft, and he’s done nothing but play at a high level since,” Wasserman wrote. “Over the past two seasons, he’s earned an 82.1 PFF grade that ranks seventh among all qualified cornerbacks. He recorded four interceptions and 14 pass breakups last season while making major positive strides in run defense. Lassiter is quietly becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.”
Given that DeJean lines up in the slot and even sees reps at safety, the best two pure cornerbacks could call Houston home. Regardless, Stingley has been the best man coverage cornerback in the AFC since 2024, while Lassiter might be the most physical run defender on the outside.
It’s hard envisioning a world where the Texans don’t feature the best cornerback duo in the sport, but at least Houston is leading the charge in the AFC.
To read the full list, click here.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans cornerback duo vastly underappreciated in Pro Football Focus’ new rankings
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
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By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
