Is this Houston Texans rising star the best at his position?

The Houston Texans have hit on a ton of draft picks in recent years, and that's a huge credit do the job done by General Manager Nick Caserio and the staff he has assembled in Houston.  They hit a grand-slam on CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr in the 2023 NFL Draft, and that class has laid the foundation for where they are today.

Well, an emerging start on the defensive side of the ball is cornerback Derek Stingley Jr, who could be having the best year of his career and who could be in line for a huge payday in the near future.

Just how good has Stingley been?  Check this out:

"Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr., while guarding Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, Ceedee Lamb, Mike Williams, and DJ Moore: 17 targets for 95 yards with 5 total pass breaks up including two interceptions per NGS. Stingley’s growth has helped take DeMeco’s unit to 6th ranked passing defense." -- DJ Bien-Aime

Stingley played in just 20 regular season games across the first two seasons of his NFL career, but has suited up and started all 11 games for Houston in 2024.  He's got two interceptions and 12 passes defended thus far.  According to Pro Football Reference, he's allowed a 54.3 passer rating in coverage, so this kid is simply locking opposing receivers down.

If he keeps this up, Stingley could earn himself a contract extension worth well over $20 million per season, and there could be a chance that he resets the market at his position.  He could be closing in on Patrick Surtain II as being the best CB in the NFL.