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LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. isn’t
afraid of being his own hype man ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
“I know myself and I know that
when I’m at the best version of myself, I’m the greatest,”
Stingley told reporters Saturday at the NFL scouting combine when
asked whether he’s the best corner in the class.
The 20-year-old Louisiana native, who
isn’t working out at the combine as he recovers from a foot injury,
enjoyed a standout freshman season with the Tigers in 2019. He tallied 38 total tackles, 15 passes defended and six interceptions
in 15 games.
He didn’t record any interceptions in
seven appearances during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign, but
the two-time first-team All-SEC selection explained Saturday teams
stopped throwing his way, which limited his ball-hawking
opportunities.
“Going into my second year and
throughout my second year, I felt it was just as good as my freshman
year,” Stingley said. “Freshman year I had over 90 targets.
Sophomore year I had 30. If anything, that should just say I was
doing my job.”
The cornerback, who said the New York
Giants and New York Jets are among the teams he’s met with in
Indianapolis, played just three games in 2021 before the injury.
Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings
described the 6’1”, 195-pound corner as a “fluid athlete with a
smooth running style and hip swivel” in his pre-draft scouting
report.
“Stingley has the ideal length teams
are looking for in cornerbacks. Paired with his elite athleticism,
ball skills and scheme flexibility, he should be an early pick for
the cornerback positions,” Giddings wrote.
Barring any setbacks with his foot, he
figures to compete with Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
and Washington’s Trent McDuffie to become the first cornerback off
the board in April.
Earning that distinction could make
Stingley a top-10 pick.
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