The Houston Texans drafted cornerback, Derek Stingley with their third overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft. Drafted with the intention of him taking over the secondary, are the expectations regarding his first season in the NFL too high?
The Houston Texans are in one of the more unique positions in the league. Some people think that the Texans could actually be a decent team this season. Others feel that the Texans are going to win somewhere between 0-4 games.
We have no idea who will be right until the end of the season, but what we do know is that they have many pieces to build around. They drafted Kenyon Green to help add in a well-rounded interior offensive linemen. They drafted Jalen Pitre to help add some great energy to their secondary. They drafted John Metchie to continue to round out their receiving room. But, the one draft pick they made that really is going to make a difference guaranteed is cornerback, Derek Stingley.
Derek Stingley was my cornerback one by a slight margin. Stingley, who was ranked and predicted to be the first overall pick in the 2022 draft after his rookie season at LSU, dealt with injuries in his final seasons in college. But, the ceiling regarding the player he can be is still way-too-high to count him out.
Going into his first season in the NFL, the Texans and the fans will be looking to see what he can do against the best in the world. Some of the notable names he will be facing this season include: Michael Pittman Jr., Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, A.J. Brown, and many more talented players.
So the question to be asked is: Can he hold his own? Or are our expectations too high for a first year cornerback? Our answer- Too High.