Holding the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans had their choice of the top two cornerbacks in the class.
The two players in question were Derek Stingley Jr., an LSU product who is known for his breakneck speed, and Sauce Gardner, a bigger and more physical corner coming out of Cincinnati. Houston opted to go with Stingley, while Gardner went one pick later to the New York Jets. That decision looked rough at first, as while Stingley missed nearly half the season due to injury, Gardner had one of the best debut seasons ever for a corner en route to Defensive Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Pro recognition.
In their second season, though, that comparison is drastically different. Stingley has still had his injury concerns, but he's been terrific when on the field for an up-and-coming Texans team. Meanwhile, Gardner has still been good this season for the Jets, but hasn't been quite as dominant as last year.
With the two corners facing off for the first time on Sunday, it's no surprise that the comparisons have been as prevalent as ever. That said, Stingley isn't too worried about those comparisons for one simple reason.
"He's got good footwork, route recognition and everything," Stingley told reporters on Wednesday. "I'll never be covering him in the game. I'm covering the receivers and he's on the sidelines and I'm on the sideline when he is."
It wasn't just the two players responding to those comparisons. When asked about his draft evaluation of Stingley and Gardner, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans showed some love to both players while expressing his satisfaction with having the former.
"So, both guys I think have really bright futures ahead of themselves. Two young players who are impact players," Ryans told reporters Monday. "Gardner has done some great things with the Jets, and Stingley here with us - he's made some impact plays, as well. So I think with both guys, you can't go wrong, and I'm happy to be working with Stingley and just to see his growth."
While Stingley, the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a two-interception game against the Denver Broncos, won't be on the field at the same time as Gardner, he can certainly make a statement with another strong performance against his fellow corner.
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