2022 NFL Mock Draft: Panthers, Steelers, Lions All Take QBs In Round 1
By Evan Bachman
12. Minnesota Vikings: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
Due to his injury risk Derek Stingley Jr.’s draft stock has fallen as he is coming off back-to-back seasons of dealing with injuries, including a lisfranc injury which sidelined him last season. Even with the injury risk, I still think he’s just too good of a prospect to fall out of the top 15 and in this 2022 NFL mock draft scenario the Vikings take him.
The good thing for Stingley Jr. is that he looked good at his pro day on Wednesday. So, if team doctors are satisfied with the progress he’s made recovering from his lisfranc injury he shouldn’t fall too much on draft night.
When he’s healthy Derek Stingley Jr. is easily one the best players in the draft, on top of that he plays corner, which is a position that is very valuable in today’s NFL with how important the passing game has become.
He possesses all the physical tools you could possibly want in a corner as he’s got great size (6-foot-2), he’s very athletic, and he moves quite fluidly. What makes him truly special as a corner however are his rare ball skills, and as a freshman at LSU he picked off six passes and broke up a total of 15, which are numbers you almost never see, especially from a freshman playing in the SEC.