2022 NFL Draft: 5 leading candidates to be the No. 1 pick
By John Buhler
Pick Analysis. CB. LSU Tigers. Derek Stingley Jr.. 4. player. Scouting Report. 817
Derek Stingley Jr. could be a generational talent as a defensive back
While the 2019 LSU Tigers were dripping with NFL talent, one could argue the player with the highest ceiling on that championship team was cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. He was utterly sensational during his true freshman season. While the Bayou Bengals regressed considerably in his sophomore campaign, there is no denying Stingley’s bona fide NFL pedigree heading into 2021.
Of all the players who have made LSU DB U over the years, Stingley is the one who could redefine what the Baton Rouge defensive back Mount Rushmore looks like. We are talking about a Tommy Casanova, Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson-level talent in the back-end of the LSU defense. While defensive backs should never go No. 1 in an NFL Draft, Stingley could be the exception.
Kayvon Thibodeaux. 3. player. 820. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. DE. Oregon Ducks
Kayvon Thibodeuax looks to be the 2022 version of Myles Garrett at Oregon
If you want to put any amount of money on a non-quarterback going No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, it would be in your best interest to put a wager on Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. He is the best pure talent starring out on the West Coast. Barring something utterly catastrophic, he will be an unquestioned top-five pick in the upcoming draft. He will not bust.
Frankly, if you want a way-too-early NFL comparison, think Myles Garrett coming out of Texas A&M, who went No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns in 2017 ahead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Thibodeaux projects as a hall-of-fame-level talent out on the edge. Think of him as this year’s Kyle Pitts, but at defensive end. He is this year’s favorite to win the Bednarik.