Derek Stingley Jr. Ranked No. 18 in NFL Top 100: Texans Cornerback Joins League’s Elite
- 5 days ago
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Derek Stingley Jr Cracks the Top 20
The NFL Top 100 countdown has reached its upper echelon, and Houston Texans star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. earned the No. 18 spot after a dominant 2024 season. At just 23 years old, the former No. 3 overall pick has emerged as one of the league’s best defensive backs, combining sticky coverage with game-changing ball skills.
Stingley’s 2024 Season With Houston
In his third NFL season, Stingley was nothing short of lockdown, producing numbers that put him in rare company:
17 games played
54 tackles (37 solo)
18 passes defensed
5 interceptions
His consistency carried over into the postseason, where he made one of the most memorable defensive performances of the year. In the Texans’ Wild Card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, Stingley logged 4 solo tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions, putting an exclamation point on a breakout campaign.
But the raw stats only tell part of the story. Advanced metrics cement his case as one of football’s most suffocating corners:
4.9 yards allowed per target (fewest among CBs)
56.9 passer rating allowed when targeted (best in NFL)
Texans Stacking the NFL Top 100
Stingley is the sixth Texan named to the 2025 Top 100, reinforcing Houston’s transformation into one of the NFL’s most talented young squads:
Joe Mixon – No. 58
Will Anderson Jr. – No. 46
C.J. Stroud – No. 39
Nico Collins – No. 32
Danielle Hunter – No. 25
Derek Stingley Jr. – No. 18
A Shutdown Corner in DeMeco’s Defense
Stingley’s length, technique, and instinct give the Texans a true shutdown corner, the type every defensive coordinator wishes for. His ability to erase half the field allows Demeco Ryans to dial up aggressive pressure packages, confident his star corner can hold up in one-on-one coverage.
As the NFL Top 100 voters made clear, Stingley isn’t just talented, he’s already one of the very best at his position. With a Pro Bowl, First-Team All-Pro honors, and now a Top 20 NFL ranking, Derek Stingley Jr. is cementing himself as the cornerstone of Houston’s secondary and one of the rising superstars in the league.
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