NFL.com's Lance Zierlein predicted LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.'s name would gain traction after he completed his pro day.
Consider the prophecy fulfilled. Stingley's Wednesday workout has again placed the cornerback in the national conversation regarding the upper half of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which begins April 28.
The 40-yard dash results headline Stingley's workout, with unofficial times from NFL scouts ranging from 4.40 to 4.44, which would place Stingley in the top 15 among corners at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
"Oh yeah, the 40, I could've run faster than that, but I feel fine. I don't feel any soreness or anything, so I'm good to go," Stingley told NFL Network's James Palmer.
Stingley's reported vertical jump of 38.5 inches was even more impressive and would have placed him fourth among all cornerbacks at the combine, capping an impressive day for the LSU product.
"I'd say I had a good day, but I knew the whole time that I just had to come out here and treat it like a normal workout because I've been doing this my whole life," Stingley said. "There's nothing that has changed over the past couple of years, nothing that's changed since I've been a little kid."
NFL.com's most recent mock drafts project Stingley to be selected within the top 14 picks, behind consensus top prospect Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner from Cincinnati. The biggest question mark on Stingley's resume has been whether he's still the player who dazzled as a freshman at LSU in 2019. He missed all but three games in 2021 after undergoing Lisfranc surgery that kept him from working out at the 2022 combine.
"The teams know just by looking at the film that there is not a difference," Stingley said.
Stingley's workout will certainly help his case. With Wednesday's results considered, it's likely he'll remain second in the cornerback pecking order, and possibly tempt some teams to take him even earlier than his current projected range.
