WATCH: Derek Stingley provides health update, makes his case as No. 1 corner

Following a great showing at his Pro Day on Wednesday, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley believes he proved his health is not a concern. Speaking with NFL Network’s James Palmer at the conclusion of the day, Stingley explained what he thinks sets him apart from the rest of the corners in the NFL Draft.

“I think when it comes to patience at the line of scrimmage, getting the ball in the air,” he said. “I can also be physical and I’m fast enough to keep up with everybody. Another thing is, my whole career I’ve been going against great talent. Day in and day out, practice and in games. I feel like I’m prepared for the next level and we’ll see how it goes.”

“Ball skills: phenomenal.”@JamesPalmerTV chats with @LSUfootball star Derek Stingley Jr. after his impressive Pro Day. pic.twitter.com/s6Gks9pIsk

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 6, 2022

Dealing with a Lisfranc injury, Derek Stingley played just 10 games for the Tigers over the past two seasons and only three during the 2021 season as he attempted to improve his health. He showed no rust at LSU’s Pro Day, posting a 10-feet, two-inch broad jump and running a 4.37 40-yard dash. Had he ran that at the NFL Combine, he would have placed fifth amongst cornerbacks and by far the fastest out of the first-round names at the position.

As for the vertical leap, Stingley tested at 38 1/2 inches. Only Kerby Joseph of the Illinois Fighting Illini did that at the combine, from a cornerback’s perspective.

“On the 40, I popped, straight up,” Stingley said. “I could’ve ran faster than that. I feel fine. I don’t feel any soreness or anything. I’m good to go. I would say I had a good day. I knew the whole time that I just had to come out here and treat it like a normal workout because I’ve been doing this my whole life. Nothing has changed over the past couple of years. Nothing has changed since I’ve been a little kid.”

Stingley also got the opportunity to work with Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley in some of the drills, which he relished.

“That was pretty cool,” the cornerback said. “He’s just giving me little tips like, ‘Stick it’ or anything like that. I was just going out there and moving around.”

A recent NFL.com mock draft projected Stingley as going 10th overall to the New York Jets. Only Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner, slated to go ninth, was listed above him. Despite this, some experts still have him ranked ahead of Gardner, including ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr.

“Derek Stingley Jr., to me, is going to still be my number one corner,” Kiper said. “You look at him and you go back to 2019 … I’m looking at Stingley saying “is this guy supposed to drop because of two years with COVID and all the things that went along with that, that disappointing year at LSU?’ He had more past breakups, more interceptions that some of these guys didn’t have [in their entire] career.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.