Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley has plenty of expectations placed upon his shoulders, and he has not even played a snap in the NFL.
Furthermore the No. 3 overall pick from LSU only played three games in his final season with the SEC West program. Stingley had to cut his 2021 campaign short with a Lisfranc injury.
Nevertheless Stingley is expected to be one of the Texans’ catalytic players in 2022.
According to Ben Linsey from Pro Football Focus, Stingley was listed as one of Houston’s top-3 players entering the season.
The interesting decision came at the No. 3 spot. Houston has undoubtedly improved the roster over the last year, but it is still lacking proven, elite talent to build around. Stingley — the No. 2 overall player on PFF’s Big Board — got the nod despite not playing an NFL snap because of just how talented he is. While his play was inconsistent the last two seasons at LSU, he was the top cornerback in college football as a true freshman in 2019 (91.7 PFF grade). That talent didn’t just disappear.
Coach Lovie Smith acknowledged during organized team activities on May 24 at Houston Methodist Training Center that the club is being cautious with the rookie as he adjusts to the pro game.
“Coming in, we know he’s coming off a major injury, so, for Derek and some of our other players, you can see we have quite a few guys that are out right now,” Smith said.
Veterans on the other side of the ball have confidence in what Stingley can bring to the secondary.
“What he’s done in college was awesome,” receiver Brandin Cooks said. “I look forward for him to be able to come in and do that here as well.”
If Stingley is able to replicate his glory years from LSU with the Texans, it could help the Texans solidify their defense.
