With the big event just three weeks away, NFL Draft talk is about to hit a fever pitch. LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is considered to be one of the most intriguing first-round prospects this year, as he hasn't played football since Sept. 18 and was recently Baltimore Ravens Jersey dealing with a Lisfranc injury. CBS Sports' Josh Edwards said he needed a strong Pro Day to raise his draft stock, and by all reports, he's done just that.All 32 NFL teams were in attendance for LSU's Pro Day on Wednesday, and Stingley was the main attraction. He measured in at 6-0 1/4, 188 pounds, 30 5/8" arm length and 74" wingspan, per 247Sports' Shea Dixon. Stingley also raised eyebrows by running an unofficial 4.37 40-yard dash, recording a vertical of 38.5" and a broad jump of 10'2." Per Dixon, the 40 time and vertical would have ranked in the top five among cornerbacks at the NFL Combine, and both would have ranked first among the cornerbacks being discussed as first-round picks. Stingley is CBS Sports' No. 2 cornerback in the 2022 NFL Draft behind Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, but the LSU star is our No. 6 player in the entire class. Both should be the first two cornerbacks off the board, but where and in what order is still to be determined. Wednesday's workout could be enough for a team to take Stingley over Gardner if it comes down to it.
Louisiana's Mr. Football had an immediate impact at the next level, as he recorded 38 total tackles, 15 passes defended and six interceptions as a freshman San Francisco 49ers Jersey while LSU went undefeated and won the national championship in 2019. This would be his best season on record, however, as Stingley played in just 10 games over the next two years due to injuries. While that may be a red flag, the two-time All-SEC player has obvious talent.Our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts have Stingley going in the middle of the first round, as high as No. 12 to the Minnesota Vikings and as low as No. 15 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, this workout may have boosted his stock.
That's because there is no clear-cut top player and the quarterback class isn't that good. Sure, there might be a star who emerges from the quarterbacks, but I think if Houston's Davis Mills was in this draft, he would be the first quarterback taken. He went in the third round last year. That's why the buzz isn't great. It's also why doing mock drafts get tougher as we get closer to the actual draft.The issues start at the top. What will the Jaguars do? In my first mock, I had them taking Michigan edge Aidan Hutchinson. But the more I think about it, tackle Evan Neal from Alabama makes more sense, so he's the pick here. The Jaguars put the franchise tag on left tackle New York Giants Jersey Cam Robinson, but he hasn't signed it or signed a long-term extension. That leaves open the possibility of taking Neal and taking the tag off of Robinson or trading him. They could also keep Robinson, draft Neal, and then play Neal at right tackle or guard, two positions he also played at Alabama.The Jaguars would then have four tackles on the roster in Robinson, Neal, Walker Little and Jawaan Taylor, who struggled as their right tackle last season, but they need to be better up front. If they all were to come to camp, the coaches could figure out who plays where. If Robinson is gone, they would likely play Neal at left tackle and let Little and Taylor compete on the right side. Or maybe Little plays left tackle and Neal and Walker compete.No matter how you look at it, they need to get better up front. This offseason has been about Trevor Lawrence, adding two receivers, a top-dollar guard and a tight end in free agency. Neal would be another piece, which is why I have him going first in this mock, my Mock. 2.0. That can change as we move closer, but I think it would be the right pick.