2022 NFL Draft: Packers get worst grade among all 32 first-round picks
3. Houston Texans: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
LSU. Pick Analysis. CB. Derek Stingley Jr.. 3. player. Scouting Report. 10
Grade: B+
The buzz surrounding this pick for the Houston Texans started to really build in recent days.
Derek Stingley Jr.’s name picked up a lot of steam and understandably so. He’s a big cornerback prospect with elite athleticism and all of the tools to become a legitimate CB1 at the NFL level.
Houston is essentially still in the foundational stage of rebuilding their roster so this kind of pick made a lot of sense.
Even if the medicals didn’t come back squeaky clean on Stingley, you still have confidence that he can get back to his 2019 form on a consistent basis with Lovie Smith calling the shots defensively.
I like this pick for the Texans especially considering they had another pick in round one and the opportunity to build along with it right away.
4. New York Jets: Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
4. 30. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. CB. Cincinnati. Sauce Gardner. player
Grade: A
If you’re a New York Jets fan, there were likely a handful of outcomes with this pick that would have had you absolutely ecstatic.
Sauce Gardner at pick no. 4 overall was certainly one of those outcomes.
Getting a guy who doesn’t even remember the last time he gave up a touchdown to play the CB1 role for Robert Saleh’s defense is a dream come true, of sorts.
Gardner brings legitimate star power to the Jets’ secondary which also added Jordan Whitehead and DJ Reed in free agency.
Jets fans saw how hard their defense played last year with — all due respect — a bunch of nobodies in the secondary. Now there are some serious dogs back there for Saleh.