Former LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is a tough prospect to evaluate. He was absolutely dominant as a true freshman during the Tigers’ national title run in 2019, totaling six interceptions for the season. But as a result of injuries, he’s only appeared in 10 games over the last two seasons.
The general consensus is that he’s one of the two best cornerback prospects available in this April’s draft and a likely first-round pick, but there’s considerable debate about where exactly he will land.
The projection in the latest 2022 NFL draft mock from Pro Football Focus is among the more optimistic projections we’ve seen, as it has Stingley going with the fourth overall pick to the New York Jets, a team that could certainly use all the help it can get, especially in the secondary.
The Jets cornerback room is bereft of talent, and Derek Stingley Jr. is a premier cornerback prospect. New York’s brass should have no issue turning the card in early if he’s available at No. 4.
Stingley’s true freshman season will go down as one of the most impressive campaigns in college football history. At just 18 years of age, he earned a 91.7 PFF grade and should have won the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back in the country.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder battled injuries every season since but will do away with any lingering doubt when he reports to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine fully healthy and tests out of this world.
Assuming Stingley is able to stay healthy at the next level, his skillset should translate very well to the NFL. Taking him in the top five may be a bit of a gamble considering his injury history, but a strong performance at the combine and his pro day could ease a lot of those concerns.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=none image=https://lsutigerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=35109]
Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.