NFL Execs, Coaches Give Strong Take on Texans' Derek Stingley

The Houston Texans made a major commitment to their top cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. this offseason in the form of signing him on to a lucrative, and well-deserbed contract extension to stay on board for the foreseeable future.

Stingley Jr. inked the extension for three years, $90 million, that made him the highest paid cornerback in the league for just under three months before the New York Jets gave Sauce Gardner his latest deal, now becoming the second-highest paid cornerback in the NFL annually.

And that big extension for Stingley comes for good reason too, as the Texans' cornerback has now found himself among the NFL's most elite talents at the position, not only in terms of his paycheck, but also in the eyes of NFL coaches, execs, and personnel.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler surveyed some anonymous NFL personnel members to get a collective top-ten cornerback talent list in the league ahead of next season, where, for Stingley, he found himself near the top of the totem pole as the second-best corner in the league, only behind Denver Broncos' Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II.

"Now one of the NFL's highest-paid cornerback at $30 million per year, Stingley allowed 4.9 yards per target last season, the fewest among outside cornerbacks with a minimum of 30 targets," Fowler wrote. "He allowed 42 completions on 90 targets, including 18 passes defended. Opposing quarterbacks produced a 56.9 passer rating against him, which topped the league among corners with at least 50 targets defended. The ball production -- 10 interceptions and 31 passes defended since 2023 -- has elevated him to elite status on his way to first-team All-Pro."