Texans' Calen Bullock Ranked Top-10 Safety by ESPN; Jalen Pitre Just Misses Cut

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The Houston Texans' secondary continues to receive league-wide recognition.

After Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter were recognized among the NFL's top cornerbacks, ESPN's annual survey of league executives, coaches and scouts placed Calen Bullock at No. 10 among the league's best safeties heading into the 2026 season, while Jalen Pitre earned honorable mention.

For a Texans defense that already boasts elite talent at every level, the recognition further reinforces one of the NFL's most promising young secondaries.

Calen Bullock's Rise Continues

Bullock made a significant jump after receiving honorable mention a year ago, earning enough respect from around the league to crack the top 10.

The former USC standout has quickly developed into one of football's premier center-field safeties. ESPN highlighted his nine interceptions through his first two NFL seasons and noted that nearly 87% of his defensive snaps came at least eight yards off the line of scrimmage, emphasizing his role as a true free safety. While evaluators acknowledged tackling as an area that has continued to improve, they praised his elite range and ball-hawking ability.

One NFL coordinator summed it up well:

"His range is elite... I'd rather you take the ball away and just be an adequate tackler than the other way around."

Bullock's instincts, closing speed and ability to erase explosive plays have made him one of the most valuable young free safeties in football and another cornerstone of DeMeco Ryans' defense.

Jalen Pitre's Value Extends Beyond Traditional Safety

Although Pitre narrowly missed the top 10, his honorable mention may actually reflect how difficult he is to categorize rather than his overall value.

Modern defenses increasingly deploy hybrid defenders, and Pitre has become one of the league's premier "STAR" or big nickel defenders. He spends significant time covering the slot, matching up against tight ends, blitzing, fitting the run and rotating back to safety depending on the offensive formation.

That versatility can make voting challenging when players are separated into traditional positional groups.

One NFC scout told ESPN:

"He's a nickel but can play safety. Don't think he gets nearly enough credit. Would love to have him."

With so much of Pitre's impact coming near the line of scrimmage instead of as a traditional deep safety, he fits into the same positional gray area occupied by several of today's hybrid defensive backs. That "tweener" role can sometimes work against players in positional rankings even while making them more valuable on Sundays.

Texans Boast One of the NFL's Best Safety Duos

Bullock's emergence as an elite free safety complements Pitre's versatility perfectly.

Rather than overlapping skill sets, the two provide Houston with contrasting strengths that allow Ryans to disguise coverages and create matchup advantages. Bullock patrols the deep middle and generates takeaways, while Pitre functions as the movable chess piece capable of impacting nearly every phase of the defense.

With Bullock earning a top-10 ranking and Pitre continuing to garner league-wide respect despite his unique hybrid role, the Texans have assembled one of the NFL's most complete safety pairings entering the 2026 season.