[2022 Draft/1-3] Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

DEREK STINGLEY JR. | LSU 6002 | 190 lbs. | JR. Baton Rouge, La. (Dunham) 6/20/1999 (age 20.86)

BACKGROUND: Derek Stingley Jr., who is one of four children, was born and raised in Baton Rouge and started doing cornerback drills with his father at age 3. He played flag football at 5 and youth football throughout middle school. At 13, Stingley enrolled at The Dunham School, a private school in Baton Rouge, and saw varsity action in eighth grade at wide receiver and cornerback (recorded two interceptions). As a junior, he gave up only one reception for 11 yards and finished with 64 tackles and 11 interceptions to earn Class 2A All-State honors. As a senior, Stingley didn’t allow a reception and posted four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), adding 24 receptions for 678 yards and 12 total touchdowns as a running back and wide receiver. He became the first player in school history to win Louisiana Mr. Football Award and was named a U.S. Army All-American and the 2018 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year. Stingley finished his prep career with 27 interceptions and zero touchdown catches while returning 14 punts for touchdowns on special teams. The Dunham School retired his No. 24 jersey. Stingley also lettered in track with personal bests of 10.89 in the 100 meters and 45’10 in the shot put.

A five-star recruit out of high school, Stingley was the No. 1 cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 3 recruit nationally (behind only Nolan Smith and Kayvon Thibodeaux). He received a scholarship offer from Les Miles when Stingley was only a freshman and he committed to the Tigers before his sophomore year. He decommitted and reopened his recruitment after LSU made a coaching change and strongly considered Florida and Texas. Before his senior year, Stingley committed to Ed Orgeron and LSU, graduating high school early and enrolling in January 2019. His father (Derek Sr.) was a defensive back at Purdue (1989), Kishwaukee Community College (1990) and Triton College (1991-92) before he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 26th round of the 1993 MLB Draft (No. 720 overall). Derek Sr. spent three years in the minor leagues before returning to football and spent the next 24 seasons in semi-pro and arena football leagues, 10 seasons as a player (1995-2004) and 14 seasons (2005-18) as a coach (currently an assistant coach at The Dunham School). His grandfather (Darryl) played wide receiver at Purdue and was a first-round pick (No. 19) in the 1973 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In August 1978, Darryl became a quadriplegic when he broke two vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord after a head-on collision with Raiders safety Jack Tatum in a preseason NFL game. Derek Stingley Jr. elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Good-sized athlete with length to jam or work off contact ... sticky coverage thanks to his silky hip-flip and route transitions ... balanced feet allow for sudden stops and quick response time ... showed better cover technique as a freshman than some players currently in the NFL ... recovery athleticism and redirect skills are outstanding ... has the long speed to close the gap after receivers gain a step ... clean footwork in his drive skills to arrive with the ball in front of him ... impressive ball instincts with the body control and focus to disrupt without going through receivers (four pass-interference penalties in 25 starts) ... patient in press and comfortable in different coverages (played for three defensive coordinators in his three collegiate seasons) ... has NFL bloodlines (grandfather) and grew up around professional football with his father spending 24 seasons in semi-pro and arena leagues ... was LSU’s main punt returner in 2019 and 2020, averaging 11.3 yards per return (17/163/0) ... earned the No. 7 jersey as a junior, which is reserved for the LSU player who shows the best talent and leadership ... introverted by nature but has carried himself with a professional work ethic and attitude dating to high school ... had one of the best freshman seasons in SEC history and finished his career with 26 career passes defended in 25 starts.

WEAKNESSES: Better in man-coverage than zone ... more smooth than explosive in his sink and drive ... tends to lose his balance when attempting to ride route runners ... occasionally late turning his head to find the football ... questionable toughness vs. the run ... will slide off tackle attempts and needs to be a more forceful finisher ... can do a better job rerouting receivers from press-man ... fumbled twice as a punt returner ... durability will be questioned after missing time the last two seasons due to injuries, including the final two games as a sophomore with a leg injury (December 2020) and the final nine games as a junior after surgery (the first surgery of his life) to repair a torn Lisfranc ligament in his left foot (October 2021) ... scouts say he doesn’t have an “alpha” personality.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at LSU, Stingley played both left and right cornerback for defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, his third coordinator in three seasons. Despite injuries hindering him during the last two seasons, he led the SEC in passes defended and interceptions in LSU’s national championship 2019 season, earning Consensus All-America honors as the first true freshman to start on the Tigers’ defense in 34 years. Stingley, who played primarily outside with some slot snaps worked in, is patient in press with the effortless hip fluidity to turn and run vertically or mirror underneath. Although NFL scouts have questioned his toughness in press coverage and as a tackler, he has outstanding on-ball production thanks to his timing and awareness in coverage (allowed only 41.1% completions during his three seasons at LSU). Overall, Stingley needs to stay on the field (missed more games the last two years than he played because of injuries), but he is a top-tier athlete with the man-coverage skills and ball instincts to stay attached on an island. He projects as a Pro Bowl-level NFL starter if he stays healthy.