Boom or Bust: Derek Stingley Jr. (2022 NFL DRAFT)
Nathan Porter
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This upcoming 2022 cornerback draft class has a plethora of first-round flair.
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is on every team’s radar. As a result, eyebrows rose when fans heard the All-American never gave up a single score out of his 1,000-plus career coverage plays — only allowing 13 receptions for 117 yards. Regardless, the talent does not conclude with the former Bearcat. Most importantly, there are a few cornerbacks that produce a strong case for being selected in the first round are but not limited to Trent McDuffie, Josh Jobe, Kaiir Elam, and last but certainly not least, Derek Stingley Jr.
Stingley Jr. was the number one CB recruit in the nation coming out of Dunham High School in Baton Rouge. The 2019 All American stands at 6’1, weighing in at 195 pounds.
The former Tiger emphatically made his name known with 38 tackles, 21 passes defended, and six not-so-easy interceptions as a freshman. One of those picks came from Utah State’s former and Green Bay’s current backup quarterback, Jordan Love. However, in Stingley Jr’s following two seasons, he played a combined 10 games his sophomore and junior year due to a recurring foot injury that he had successful surgery on back in October of 2021. Stingley Jr. is good to go and will be ready by April.
A couple of things are certain about the 2-time first-team All-SEC Louisiana native. Not only does Stingley Jr. look phenomenal in purple and gold, but he is first in position rank and third in overall rank in this draft class. Could Stingley Jr. be drafted in the top 10 just out of Minnesota’s reach? Most definitely. Top 5? Sure. There is still a scarce chance Minnesota obtains the opportunity to select him at 12.
Stingley Jr. rocks a stellar 91.7 PFF Grade. 4.3 40 time and 42-inch vertical coming out of high school. Look out for his numbers during the combine in March. Nearly two months before the draft, Stingley Jr. proves his quickness in film. For instance, Stingley Jr is always patient and reads the receiver marvelously — constantly hawking the ball, using his hands to help throw off the receiver’s route all while moving his hips to stay with the receiver. LSU runs a significant amount of Cover 1 defense, meaning all defensive backs are man-to-man except the Safety (usually). This young star had a lot of practice in those situations. Very rarely will you notice he gets beat,. But when he does, he closes the gap with his speed.
Key players who may be free agents next season would be Patrick Peterson ($8m), Xavier Woods ($1.75m), and Mackensie Alexander ($1,127,500).
The question is, will he boom in the pros as he did in 2019? Will he bust even after having successful foot surgery? We will find out in eight months.
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