Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson has seen his fair shares of ups and downs since his arrival to the league in 2010. Still, a strong open field tackler and decent in zone coverage, his role as a slot corner for the Texans has become more important over the past several seasons.
Now, he could be one move more inside once again.
According to Houston Chronicle’s John McClain, Jackson was seen at practice today taking reps from the safety position with both the first and second team units. Jackson also practiced with the safety unit last season but never took a snap during the regular season there.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien stated Monday afternoon that his reliability in the open field makes him a wild card to earn starting reps from either position.
“Smart, good tackler,” O’Brien said. “He has that skill set where he can cover backs (and), he can cover slots. He’s just a guy that because of his intelligence and his knowledge of our defense, he’s a very versatile guy. Very valuable guy in our defense.”
Jackson also stated he was willing to play either position this season as well.
“I’m doing whatever it takes for us to be successful as a defense and as a team,” he said. “It’s all about making the team better. I’m definitely willing to do it.”
While the team did recently sign former New York Jets safety Marcus Gilchrist, the 2015 breakout star is still battling a lower leg injury and could be slow to join the roster. With a team in need of a veteran talent in the deep end to replace Quinten Demps, Jackson could be the man for the job.
