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There may not be a more polarizing player in this year’s NFL draft than LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
The 20-year-old had an amazing freshman season in 2019 with six interceptions and 15 pass breakups to help the Tigers to the national title. But he has only played in 10 games over the last two injury-filled years, has no interceptions in that time and NFL teams have to wonder about his durability.
“I find this one to be extraordinarily tough,” former Jets GM and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum said, “and I’d much rather be in the media making this decision than a real one because this is one that really keeps you up at night. If in three years, we said that he was one of the two or three best football players from this draft, I wouldn’t be surprised and if we said in two or three years there were questions about his durability, I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s what makes the draft process so difficult.”
Stingley was widely considered to be the best cornerback in this year’s draft class going into the 2021 season. But he suffered a Lisfranc injury and had surgery on his foot on Sept. 29, missing all but three games. Stingley’s draft stock has fallen and many people now rate Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner ahead of him. Stingley has gone from being a surefire top-10 pick to someone who could slip into the late teens or maybe even the 20s.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. still believes Stingley is the best cornerback in this class.
“Stingley, Jr. was a lock-down corner as an 18-year-old true freshman in 2019 when LSU won a national title and finished 15-0,” Kiper said via email. “He also went up against Ja’Marr Chase every day in practice that same year. They had some epic battles. COVID hit in 2020 and he was injured in 2021 and forced to shut it down early on due to the injury.
“He’s several years removed now from that one great season, that’s why Sauce Gardner has moved ahead of Stingley, Jr. on some analysts boards. I really like Gardner, but am sticking with Stingley, Jr., provided there are no issues with the injury which we won’t know for sure until his pro day.”
That pro day is on Wednesday, six months from Stingley’s surgery. He was unable to participate in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, but now teams will get to see how healthy he is. Stingley is not lacking in confidence.
“I know myself and I know that when I’m at the best version of myself, I’m the greatest,” Stingley said at the combine.
NFL GMs may not be so sure. Tannenbaum said the risk factor may be too great for teams picking in the top 10.
“He has incredible ability, but when you’re picking high, you want to check as many boxes as possible and the fact that he’s played in 10 games in two years, that gives me a lot of concern,” Tannenbaum said.
Kiper said teams will have a tough call to make.
“Stingley, Jr. does provide a difficult evaluation,” Kiper said. “You always want a player drafted early to finish strong both in terms of the regular season as well as the entire draft process. That wasn’t the case with Stingley, Jr., but was the case with Gardner.”
Kiper believes Stingley could go to the Jets at No. 10 or shortly after that.
“Washington or Minnesota would be excellent landing spots for Stingley, Jr.,” Kiper said. “Same for the New York Jets, who select at 10. Washington is at 11 and Minnesota is at 12. The Jets need a true #1 lockdown CB and Washington and Minnesota have CB as one of their major needs.”
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