Commanders must consider Derek Stingley at pick No. 11 after impressive pro day

The Washington Commanders can’t afford a luxury pick with their first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

It’s pretty simple, actually. The first pick needs to be a fit schematically while also filling a relative need, and the second pick MUST come at a position of need. If you can also check the value box, then by all means pull the trigger.

Speaking strictly in terms of Washington’s first-round pick, that makes a wide receiver, cornerback, and safety (though Kyle Hamilton isn’t an outright safety) as the obvious choices.

Depending on how the first 10 picks unfold, we’d endorse either position, whether it be Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Hamilton or Derek Stingley. You could even throw Sauce Gardner and Treylon Burks into that mix as well.

Due to his injury history Stingley has been the least discussed possibility for Washington at No. 11 overall, but the LSU cornerback is now soaring in popularity around the league after his impressive pro day on Wednesday.

The Commanders need to consider drafting Derek Stingley.

Unable to participate in the Combine because he was recovering from September surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in his left foot, Stingley not only quelled concerns about the injury, but solidified himself as a top-15 pick in the process.

Stingley got his pro day started by posting 40-yard dash times of 4.37 and 4.44 seconds. In speaking with reporters after the showcase, the LSU product was almost disappointed with those times, saying “I can run faster than a 4.3.”

That quote speaks to Stingley’s competitive nature and the standard he sets for himself. Accountability is a coveted trait teams look for in prospects and Stingley seems to have it in spades. The quote also indicates the former All-American will only get faster the further he’s removed from the injury.

Beyond the impressive 40 time, Stingley recorded a vertical leap of 38.6 inches, which would’ve ranked fourth among cornerbacks at the Combine. He also measured in at 6-foot and 188 pounds with 30.5-inch arms and a 74-inch wingspan.

Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner has long been viewed as the top corner in this. year’s class, but Stingley could leapfrog him on some team’s draft boards (all 32 teams attended his pro day) after his performance on Wednesday.

The only question(s) surrounding Stingley is whether he can shake the injury bug and remain consistent in coverage. As a freshman in 2019, he was a catalyst in LSU’s run to the national championship and even earned second-team All-America honors with 21 passes defended and six interceptions.

That was the peak of Stingley’s collegiate career, however, as he played a combined 10 games over his final two seasons. His production dropped off in a big way, too, as he failed to notch an interception and managed five passes defended.

Could that drop-off be attributed to the fact LSU as a program regressed after their record-setting 2019 season? It’s certainly feasible. A record-tying 14 Tigers got drafted that year, including Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Patrick Queen, K’lavon Chaisson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Grant Delpit.

After finishing 15-0 in 2019, LSU finished a combined 11-12 over the last two campaigns, so take that for what it’s worth.

The bottom line is athleticism has never been question with Stingley and the 20-year-old reminded everyone of that on Wednesday.

For a player whom some draft prognosticators view as the best pound-for-pound prospect in this year’s draft, the Commanders must consider him with their first-round pick after his pro day.