Way-too-early Philadelphia Eagles 2022 mock draft: Guesses on Round 1

Might the Philadelphia Eagles’ first selection could be a cornerback?

To clarify, the ‘1’ indicates Round 1 and not the first overall pick. The Birds should improve in 2021 but they still have a lot of work left to do before they contend again. Landing Derek Stingley Jr. in Round 1 the 2021 draft is the perfect way to sure up the outside spot opposite of Slay. Stingley would easily be up to the task of being CB1 following Slay’s potential departure down the road too.

As a freshman, Stingley had one of the best seasons of any corner in college football which helped LSU win a national championship. The six-foot-one, 195-pound cornerback collected six interceptions and 15 passes defended that year. He can do it all.

He can flip his hips and run downfield with receivers, make plays at the catch point, and has the length and frame to compete at the NFL level. His mirroring ability is among the best in the country. At the level he was playing at in 2019, he probably could’ve been a starter on a few cornerback-needy NFL teams.

LSU’s defense as a whole took a notable turn for the worse in the 2020 season. To be fair, LSU’s offense also had a massive decline forcing the LSU defense back onto the field more often than not. Stingley wasn’t free of blame, but he figures to bounce back in 2021 and secure his status as a top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. If he is on the board when the Eagles pick, it shouldn’t even be a question.