The Houston Texans selected Derek Stingley Jr. third overall in the 2022 draft, and all he has done since then is live up to his billing as the top cornerback in the class, if not exceeded it, with two Pro Bowls and two First Team All-Pro selections.
Former NFL scout Bucky Brooks, now an analyst for the NFL’s flagship network and website, did not mince words about how good Stingley is.
Brooks ranked Stingley as the NFL’s No. 3 cornerback.
“The ball-hawking cover corner has picked off 14 passes in the last three seasons, showcasing his superb instincts, awareness and anticipation in coverage,” Brooks wrote on September 4, noting that Stingley takes advantage of “playing behind a ferocious pass rush” that hurries QBs.
“Stingley aggressively squats on routes, looking for picks on tips and overthrows in his area. While his ability to thrive in a ‘vision and break’ system overshadows his superb man-to-man cover skills, the back-to-back first-team All-Pro is a sticky defender capable of blanketing WR1s all over the field.”
There is evidence that Stingley is even better than Brooks asserts, too, and not just his $90 million contract.
Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. in Class of His Own
Stingley has allowed the lowest completion percentage among all players to face at least 254 targets since the start of the 2022 season at 49.6%, per Stathead.
He has faced the fewest targets among that group, hitting the 254-mark exactly.
However, the next closest player is Denver Broncos nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian with a 60.1% mark on 258 targets. Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who also plays on the perimeter, is next, tying McMillian in targets faced while allowing 58.5% completion.
Additionally, Broncos star and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II is the only other player consistently mentioned, let alone ranked, ahead of Stingley in cornerback discussions.
Surtain has allowed 58.4% completion on 291 targets.
Brooks listed Surtain first and Seattle Seahawks corner and Super Bowl champion Devon Witherspoon second. However, Witherspoon’s 65.8% completion on 231 targets ranks 13th out of 17 players to see as many looks since 2023, when he entered the NFL.
Moreover, Stingley has allowed 46% completion, albeit on 200 targets, during that same span with the Texans.
Stingley ranked 25th on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for the 2026 season.
Derek Stingley Jr. Coming Off ‘Volatile’ 2025 Season
While Stingley’s metrics hold up, Pro Football Focus ranked the Texans star seventh among CBs entering the 2026 season.
He checked in behind Witherspoon, Sauce Gardner of the Indianapolis Colts), Surtain, Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles teammates Cooper DeJean, and Quinyon Mitchell.
PFF’s Dalton Wasserman noting a “bit of a volatile” season in coverge.
“His elite ball skills still allowed him to tally four interceptions and nine pass breakups,” Wasserman wrote in August.
Wasserman added, “His 73.5 PFF coverage grade ranked 23rd among all qualified cornerbacks. Over the past three years, Stingley slots second among qualified cornerbacks with a 90.3 coverage grade. He and Kamari Lassiter make a good case to be labeled the NFL’s best cornerback duo.”
Kamari Lassiter ‘Quietly’ Rising CB Rankings
Notably, Wasserman ranked Lassiter ninth, with only Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots separating him and Stingley. Wasserman noted that Lassiter has “done nothing but play at a high level since” the Texans selected him 42nd overall in 2024.
Per Wasserman, Lassiter’s 82.1 grade since then is seventh among qualified CBs.
“Lassiter is quietly becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL,” Wasserman wrote, noting his 4 interceptions, 14 deflections, and “major positive strides in run defense.”
Former Scout Does Not Mince Words About Texans’ $90 Million All-Pro