An early New York Jets-2022 NFL draft look: Cornerback prospects

By Ian Roddy — 06/11/2021

Featuring names like Tre’Davious White, Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, the AFC East boasts arguably the best cornerbacks of any division in football.

What’s unfortunate, though, is that none of those top CBs are on the New York Jets. In fact, as it stands right now, Gang Green’s top corner on their roster looks to be second-year player Bryce Hall. The Virginia product has shown flashes of potential, but he can’t be expected to match up well with guys like Stefon Diggs quite yet.

Most people expect Joe Douglas to sign a veteran corner sometime in the coming weeks to fill that role in the short term, but it isn’t hard to see that the roster needs more young studs for fans to get excited about. After all, corner hasn’t been a team strength since the days of Darrelle Revis.

Luckily, the Jets have four picks in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL draft to rectify their cornerback woes. While this obviously is still very far away—after all, this year’s rookies haven’t even finished up OTAs yet—it’s never too early to start learning some prominent college football names to keep an eye on.

Derek Stingley Jr., LSU

LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. is the early favorite to be the first corner taken in the 2022 draft. In reality, he’s been the odds-on favorite since his National Championship-winning freshman year. During that magical season, Stingley snagged six interceptions to go with 15 pass deflections.

He was easily the best corner on his team, and probably even in the entire country — as a true freshman. While he took a slight step back as a sophomore, he’s still projected to be a true shutdown defender early on in his NFL career.

Stingley’s ball skills are some of the best you’ll see from a cornerback prospect — he always seems to know exactly where the ball is, and he’s proactive in positioning himself to get a hand on it. Pair that with his ideal size (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) and explosive athleticism, and you’ve got a recipe for NFL success.

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