The Seahawks have never used an early-round pick on a cornerback since Pete Carroll and John Schneider took over. However, there’s a ton of speculation that pattern will change in 2022. There are three excellent cornerback prospects who are expected to be taken in the top-20 overall picks in this year’s draft and the Seahawks take one in this new mock draft from USA TODAY.
LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. has become a very popular mock pick for Seattle in recent weeks and it’s not hard to see why. He went to the Seahawks again in USA TODAY’s mock.
“Seattle could be in play for one of the quarterbacks here, but assuming the Seahawks don’t have one rated this high, they can start rebuilding their old “Legion of Boom” by adding a fierce, competitive corner in Stingley Jr.”
The scouting report on Stingley is that he’s long and very sharp in man coverage, which could put him over the top compared with Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner and Washington’s Trent McDuffie. Under the guidance of new defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and associate head coach Sean Desai, this team is expected to adopt a more aggressive coverage scheme this year. Getting quality corners who can play man-to-man will be a must.
Stingley (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) totaled six picks his Freshman season along with 15 pass breakups. His numbers have dipped since but any NFL team looking to draft him will bet he’ll get back to that 2019 level.
Taking Stingley would also mesh with the latest reporting. ESPN says the Seahawks are “a team to watch” regarding Stingley. They’re also reportedly taking a “hard look” at Georgia’s giant defensive lineman Jordan Davis.
