Derek Stingley Jr 2022 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190lb
School: LSU Tigers
Derek Stingley Jr 2022 NFL Draft Profile
LSU’s official website lists cornerback Derek Stingley Jr as one of the most talented corners in school history. With the program producing such stars as Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, he’s in some esteemed company. Yet, it’s not without merit.
A consensus five-star prospect coming out of high school, the Baton Rogue-born Stingley declared for LSU as the top high school player in the nation. His recruitment followed a senior campaign that saw Stingley voted High School Player of The Year for Louisiana; he also ranked as a finalist for the award nationally.
It was at LSU, though, where Stingley’s meteoric rise truly began. The most decorated freshman in school history, he was an immediate starter and played a key role in a historically effective secondary for LSU. Leading the SEC in both interceptions and passes defended, Stingley capped off a stellar freshman year by helping LSU put the clamps on Trevor Lawrence in the National Championship game. Stingley raked in the accolades following the season, with All American and AP All-SEC First-Team selections.
Even in the abridged 2020 season, Stingley again earned All-American honors as the fervor continued to grow around the young cornerback. Although he would never again reach the statistical heights of his freshman year in his college career, the remainder of his time at LSU was spent as one of the best and most respected defenders in college football. Capable of erasing his side of the field, the ball simply never came his way. As a junior, Stingley inherited LSU’s famed #7, but only managed three games before a foot injury ruled him out for the year. He then subsequently declared for the 2022 NFL Draft, immediately projecting as a top-10 pick.
Strengths
- Patient feet and eyes;
- Exceptional fluidity in transition;
- Good downfield ball-tracking skills;
- Elite play recognition;
- Locates ball well in the air;
- Can play man coverage by touch with head turned;
- Good recovery/pursuit speed;
- Receiver-focused in pursuit; doesn’t attempt to play the ball from bad positions;
- Tackles low; unafraid of engaging bigger players on the perimeter;
- Sharp breakout speed in zone coverage;
- Comfortable readjusting while the ball is in the air;
- Plays through the process of the catch;
- Excellent at using receiver’s hands as a cue to play the ball;
- Good positional awareness on the field; uses boundaries as defensive help.
Weaknesses
- Average tackling technique and hit power;
- Average catching ability for the number of passes defended;
- Plays aggressively underneath;
- Should produce more turnovers;
- Gives up leverage too easily; often plays from off-leverage positions
Teams With Need At Position: San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders.
NFL Comparison: Marshon Lattimore
Projection: Top 10 draft pick
Bottom Line on Derek Stingley Jr
Derek Stingley is the best cornerback in this year’s draft. He’s projected as such since his freshman year at LSU, and has left the school as arguably one of the most talented prospects to pass through Death Valley. His quiet statistics in recent years are simply reflective of the respect he commands from opposing quarterbacks, who just stopped throwing the ball near him. He has good size and length, and his coverage skills are phenomenal.
He’s the consensus No.1 cornerback available this year, despite the skyrocketing stock of Sauce Gardner, and will likely be selected in the top-1o of the first round in April. Therefore, any team in the market for a No. 1 corner will be in play for Stingley, who can thrive in any scheme; his skills are most evident in a heavy man-coverage scheme, but his sharpness and football I.Q. shines in zone coverage. Ideally, Stingley will come down with the ball more at the next level; he gets his hands on the ball so frequently but does tend to drop some passes that he should be catching. However, that’s just a case of Stingley being so good that he should be even better. He has almost limitless potential and is the most complete cornerback prospect available in the draft in recent years.
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