Derek Stingley Jr. Ranked No. 25 on NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

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Derek Stingley Jr. has once again been voted among the very best players in football.

The Houston Texans star cornerback came in at No. 25 overall on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026, the annual ranking voted on by players across the league. Stingley drops seven spots from his No. 18 ranking in 2025, but remains firmly among the NFL's elite and one of the highest-ranked defensive backs in football.

The recognition comes after another outstanding season for Stingley, who earned First-Team Associated Press All-Pro honors for the second consecutive year in 2025. He is the only cornerback in Texans history to earn First-Team AP All-Pro honors, and he has now done it in back-to-back seasons.

Stingley also earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection, joining Jonathan Joseph as the only cornerbacks in franchise history to make consecutive Pro Bowls. He finished the 2025 regular season with four interceptions and 13 passes defensed, becoming the only NFL player with at least four interceptions in each of the previous three seasons. He also recorded the first pick-six and first forced fumble of his career in Houston's Week 16 win over Las Vegas.

Since 2023, Stingley has developed from an immensely talented young corner into one of the defining pieces of DeMeco Ryans' defense.

And the praise from his peers in this year's Top 100 feature shows exactly why.

Kamari Lassiter: Stingley's interception helped change the Texans' season

Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter pointed to Stingley's one-handed interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars as his favorite example of what makes his teammate special.

"Sting, we could talk all day about Sting. Favorite one had to be the pick against the Jaguars. Going into the half, they're about to score. He tries to throw a shallow route, we're in man coverage, Sting undercuts the route, one-hand picks it, stops the whole drive. Then we come back to win the game. I feel like that kick-started the whole season. We didn't lose another game after that."

For Lassiter, it wasn't simply the difficulty of the interception. It was the timing.

The Jaguars were threatening to score before halftime, and Stingley's ability to trust his coverage, undercut the route and make a one-handed interception erased the possession. Houston went on to win the game, and according to Lassiter, the play helped ignite the run that followed.

Azeez Al-Shaair: 'This dude is different'

Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair highlighted perhaps Stingley's most unique quality: when quarterbacks challenge him, Stingley isn't merely looking to prevent a completion. He's looking to take the football away.

"Sting's best trait is his ball skills. Quarterback has to throw a perfect pass. He's not gonna just get a pass breakup, he's gonna get an interception. It's just like, dude, this dude is different."

The numbers back up the reputation.

Stingley's four interceptions in 2025 gave him at least four in three consecutive seasons, while his ball production has come despite quarterbacks becoming increasingly reluctant to test him.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 'Probably the best I've seen'

Perhaps some of the strongest praise came from Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Smith-Njigba finished his dominant 2025 season with a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, making his evaluation of an opposing corner particularly noteworthy.

"He's a great athlete and his ball-tracking skills are next to none. Probably the best I've seen at the cornerback position."

It's a trait that has followed Stingley throughout his career. His athleticism allows him to stay in phase with receivers, but his ability to locate and attack the football often separates him from other elite coverage players.

Alec Pierce: Stingley trusts his athleticism

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce, who has seen plenty of Stingley as an AFC South rival, described the confidence with which Stingley plays coverage.

"I think he trusts his athleticism. He's fine with letting you run your route, do your thing, and he's hoping he can come in at the end and go make a pick."

That ability to seemingly give a receiver space before closing at the catch point is part of what makes throwing at Stingley so dangerous. What may initially look like an open window can disappear quickly once the ball leaves the quarterback's hand.

Tre'Davious White: 'You are THE guy'

Veteran cornerback Tre'Davious White offered perhaps the most emphatic endorsement of Stingley in the entire feature.

"When the ball is in the air, he don't even see the receiver anymore. It's like, 'This is mine.' He's just an all-around athlete, so technically sound."

White then delivered a message directly to Stingley:

"Sting, keep doing your thing, boy. You're the best in the league, boy. Keep going. You got a lot of love over here from Tre White. You are that guy. You are THE guy."

That is significant praise coming from a fellow corner who has himself been a First-Team All-Pro during his NFL career.

Stingley's résumé continues to grow

Stingley's career trajectory has been remarkable since the Texans selected him third overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Injuries limited him to 20 starts over his first two seasons, but once healthy, Stingley quickly emerged as one of football's premier defensive players. His breakout 2024 season included five interceptions, 18 passes defensed, his first Pro Bowl selection and his first AP First-Team All-Pro honor. He allowed just a 46.7% completion rate and 56.9 passer rating when targeted as the nearest defender that season.

Houston rewarded him following that season with a three-year, $90 million extension containing $89 million guaranteed, a deal that at the time made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

He followed it by making another Pro Bowl and another First-Team All-Pro team in 2025.

Stingley's growing NFL résumé now includes:

• 2× AP First-Team All-Pro (2024, 2025)

• 2× Pro Bowl selection (2024, 2025 seasons)

• Three consecutive seasons with at least four interceptions

• Back-to-back appearances in the NFL Top 100's top 25

• No. 18 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025

• No. 25 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

  
  

Last year's No. 18 ranking was Stingley's first appearance on the NFL Top 100 and came after his breakout 2024 campaign.

The ranking may have fallen seven spots this year, but Stingley's standing around the league clearly hasn't.

Listen to the receivers who have to play against him, the defenders who play beside him and the veteran corners who understand exactly how difficult his job is, and the consensus is hard to miss: Derek Stingley Jr. has established himself as one of the NFL's premier cornerbacks.

Texans on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

Stingley is the third Texans player revealed on the list so far:

• No. 25 — CB Derek Stingley Jr.

• No. 58 — WR Nico Collins

• No. 92 — LB Azeez Al-Shaair

  
  

Collins earned the No. 58 spot following his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season and second straight Pro Bowl selection, while Al-Shaair made his Top 100 debut at No. 92 after recording a team-leading 103 tackles and earning the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.

And Houston likely isn't finished.

Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter remain among the prominent Texans yet to be revealed as the countdown moves toward the top of the list. Anderson is coming off a First-Team All-Pro season in which he finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, while Hunter earned Second-Team All-Pro honors after another dominant season off the edge.

For now, Stingley's No. 25 ranking gives Houston three players in the Top 100 — and another reminder of just how much elite talent resides on DeMeco Ryans' defense.