Reasons for Philadelphia Eagles to select, avoid Derek Stingley in NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles shouldn’t put too much stock in how much time Derek Stingley has missed.

It’s been a long time since we’ve used the term ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and applied it to an NFL frame of reference. Guys get hurt all of the time in football at every level.

Sometimes the forgotten aren’t discussed when they’re healthy or on the sideline. The game just goes on, especially in Philadelphia, but the Eagles and their fans tend to spend a great deal of time discussing when their wounded will be back on the field again.

Brandon Graham’s 2022 return has generated some buzz. We’ve spent much of the past two seasons hoping that Brandon Brooks would surprise us and return to action late in the season. There’s some of that same theory when we discuss Derek Stingley. We talk about how much time he missed and whether or not Gardner may have lapped him because ‘Sauce’ was present, on the field, and playing.

Missing the most recent NFL Scouting Combine didn’t help, but earlier we asked how good Stingley is. Here’s an answer. Even with all of this seemingly working against him. He’s still widely regarded as as one of the top three corners in this draft by just about everyone.

In his NFL Draft profile on NFL.com, Lance Zierlein compared him to someone who’s already piqued the Eagles’ interest, Stephon Gilmore. Stingley is a younger and less expensive option however even if he does command a first-round rookie salary.

Sure, he hasn’t played in a while. We get it, but the game hasn’t passed him by. In their take on him, The Draft Network said the following.

"Stingley Jr. has elite speed and fluid hips that allow him to match wide receivers step for step in and out of breaks while also possessing a rare instinctual ability to intercept passes thrown his way… (He will be) best served as an outside corner matched up with the opposing team’s best WR. (He’ll) be able to use his length, athleticism, and speed to match up with the most athletic boundary WRs."

This two-time First-Team All-SEC nod (2019, 2020) is a baller. If he’s healthy, he could take the league by storm immediately. He could start for the Philadelphia Eagles as early as Week 1.