Hogs Haven selects Derek Stingley Jr. for the Commanders at No. 11

Arguably the best corner in this draft is off the board to the Washington Commanders in SB Nation’s annual mock draft.

With the No. 11 overall selection in the 2022 SB Nation NFL Community Mock Draft, the Washington Commanders select Derek Stingley Jr., the dynamic CB from LSU.

Let’s get the background established before we get into the draft pick. Every year the 32 NFL sites under the SB Nation umbrella participate in a one-round (two this year!) mock draft where trades (unfortunately) are not allowed. Last year I selected Jamin Davis as the pick I thought was most-likely to happen with Ron Rivera running the show, and Washington’s obvious need at linebacker. Unfortunately that pick wasn’t a home run, and a late-rising Davis didn’t pick up the MIKE role and will move over while the Commanders still look to fill that role.

I wasn’t going to double down at linebacker this year by “reaching” for someone like Devin Lloyd at No. 11. From all the pre-draft rumors, and Ron Rivera’s notoriously bad poker face, I expect the Washington Commanders to take their favorite wide receiver with the first pick. Rivera is all in on Carson Wentz, despite the out he has in the contract if this season doesn’t prove the previous two organizations were wrong in dumping him. Chris Olave was the obvious choice here, and he has a good chance of teaming up with Terry McLaurin again when the real draft starts on Thursday, April 28.

Last year I went with the player I thought was most likely to be picked by the Rivera brain trust, but this year I went with the player with the most talent and upside available on my board, the BPA if you will. Derek Stingley Jr. could get picked before the Commanders are on the clock, but even if he is available I expect Washington to go WR unless some crazy drop happens. And no, even though I would have definitely considered a trade in this mock draft (and likely taken one of the best available WRs with that later pick), I don’t expect Rivera to make a first-round trade this year.

SB Nation Mock Draft Top 10 Picks

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aiden Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

2. Detroit Lions: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

3. Houston Texans: Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame

4. New York Jets: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State

5. New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

6. Carolina Panthers: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

7. New York Giants (via CHI): Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

8. Atlanta Falcons: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State

9. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN): Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

10. New York Jets (via SEA): Drake London, WR USC

The Washington Commanders select LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr. with the 11th overall pick. His talent popped on the field as a freshman in 2019. He draws comparisons to some great CBs (Marshon Lattimore, Patrick Peterson, Stephon Gilmore) and has the ability to be a true shutdown corner in the NFL. He infamously battled Ja’Marr Chase in practice during their time together on the National Champion 2019 LSU team. An ankle injury two years ago, and a Lisfranc injury last year limited his playing time to 10 games over that span. He is fully recovered from last season’s injury and put on a show for the NFL world at his Pro Day earlier in April.

The talent is there to be the best player in the draft, and he has been cleared of all injuries heading into the start of his NFL career. He will still only be 20 years old when he is drafted in less than two weeks. Washington made a big splash in free agency last offseason by signing William Jackson III and they brought back Kendall Fuller via free agency two years ago. They drafted Benjamin St-Juste in the third round last year, but concussions ended his rookie season prematurely.

Stingley provides a potential bargain-priced superstar here, and a succession plan for Washington’s secondary.

Best players remaining:

• Charles Cross, T, Mississippi State
• Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
• George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
• Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
• Bernhard Raimann, T, Central Michigan