Derek Stingley Jr. proved that his rise in 2023 was just the beginning. Last season, the former No. 3 overall pick proved he was an elite shutdown defender who might be considered among the best players in the league for the 2025 season as the Houston Texans look to compete for a spot in the AFC Championship game.

Coming off an All-Pro season, Stingley totaled five interceptions (tied for sixth most), 18 pass breakups (second most) and allowed the second-lowest completion percentage among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps (46.7%), according to NFL Next Gen Stats in 2024. That led to a new three-year, $90 million extension this offseason, making Stingley the highest-paid cornerback in the league with an annual $30 million salary.

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But while Stingley might have the respect from the Texans, is he the No. 1 cornerback entering 2025 based on projections? Not according to Pro Football Focus, which listed him as the No. 5 defensive back behind New York’s Sauce Gardner, Denver’s Pat Surtain II, Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie and Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson.

“After a poor rookie season, Stingley has generated a 90.3 PFF coverage grade over the past two seasons — the best mark among all cornerbacks,” John Koso wrote. “The 2022 No. 3 overall pick plays a high-risk, high-reward brand of football and threads that needle well, as his 12 interceptions across the past two years lead the league.”

Even after a down rookie season, Stingley made up for the lack of production with two Pro Bowl-caliber seasons. Fully healthy, he’s been the definition of consistent when asked to line up in man coverage and an enforcer in one-on-one battles against top receivers.

The highest-paid defensive back should begin the season as the top name opposite Kamari Lassiter in the AFC. In time with another dominant campaign, he should land no lower than No. 2 and compete with Surtain for Defensive Player of the Year accolades for the long haul.

The Texans open the season against Davante Adams and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 7.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: PFF ranks Texans All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr. No. 5 in top 32 list