Should New York Jets be concerned about potential top pick Stingley?

January 12, 2022

2022 CB Class New York Jets

Jake Rigdon

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Trying to pick out the New York Jets’ greatest needs is kind of like blindfolding yourself and picking a spot on the map.

Literally anything will do.

The player most-often drafted for the Jets with their first of two first-round picks using the Fanspeak On The Clock simulator is LSU cornerback Derek Stingley, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior. As Tyler Calvaruso of USA Today’s Jets Wire says, cornerback is among New York’s most pressing need. From Calvaruso: “Stingley Jr. has lockdown potential and although his injury history might be a valid cause for concern, his natural ability and high ceiling will likely be too tempting to pass up. He was a key component of LSU’s national championship run in 2019 and is about as pro-ready as any cornerback in this year’s draft class.”

The key phrase there is “injury history.”

Stingley’s No. 4 ranking in the latest Fanspeak-Jake Rigdon big board comes largely off of his freshman season. His last two seasons, though, were marred by injury.

Daniel Kelly of FanNation’s Jets Country detailed Stingley’s injury history back in a November report. In summary: Stingley played just three games this season before shutting it down after re-aggravating a left foot injury that eventually required a medical procedure. He also missed time last season with a lingering leg injury, plus, as Kelly says, there were also reports last season of an ankle sprain and an illness that caused him to miss games.

Overall, Stingley has played in just 10 games the past two seasons after his breakout freshman year when he started all 15 games. For his career, Stingley has 73 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 20 PDs. All 6 of his INTs came his freshmen season.

Walter Football’s scouting report on Stingley says teams see him as a “boom or bust” player. From the report: “NFL teams … feel Stingley can be inconsistent in coverage and occasionally give up some plays that he shouldn’t given his amazing skill set. He also could have some teams that lower his grade because of his durability and the medical evaluation.”

Likewise, Jets Country’s Kelly says there’s a “strong chance” that Stingley winds up as a bust. From Kelly: “Stingley has zero interceptions since 2019 and his passes defensed stats dropped from 15 (2019), 5 (2020) and 0 (2021), which is absolutely alarming. His tackling stats have also been on the steady decline—38 (2019), 27 (2020) to 8 (2021) is troubling too.”