The Houston Texans are taking LSU Tigers cornerback Derek Stingley in yet another mock draft.
According to Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus via Patrick Conn of the LSU Wire, the Texans use their presumptively top-3 pick, not to address pass rush, not to take a chance on Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, but to shore up the secondary.
It’s been a tough few years for Stingley since his sensational true freshman season — when he was boasted as one of the best defensive players in the country. The exodus of talent from LSU from 2019 to 2020 was a big adjustment, and he was playing hurt most of the time he was available in 2021.
Though it feels like a long time ago, that elite cover corner from 2019 is still there.
Since 2002, there have been six cornerbacks taken in the top-5 of the NFL draft, and only two of them have garnered first-team All-Pros: Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Peterson. Stingley appears to be more on the side of Morris Claiborne than he is Peterson.
As long as Kayvon Thibodeaux or Aidan Hutchinson are still on the board by the time the Texans pick, Houston needs to use their most premium pick to fix the pass rush. The coverage will come later.
