One year after being snubbed, Texans star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. has parlayed a healthy breakthrough season headlined by his dominant performance against Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill to be named to his first Pro Bowl.
Stingley, an alternate last season, is joined by wide receiver Nico Collins, another first-time selection, along with left tackle Laremy Tunsil and running back Joe Mixon in the Pro Bowl.
Six teammates were named alternates to the Pro Bowl: defensive end Danielle Hunter (first), punter Tommy Townsend (first), defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (second), quarterback C.J. Stroud (second), kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (fourth) and safety Jimmie Ward (fourth).
A former third overall pick and consensus All-American from LSU, Stingley is a lockdown corner with elite cover skills, hands, instincts and body control. He had two interceptions against the Dolphins in one-on-one coverage on Hill, taking the football away from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to put the game away in December and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Unlike last year when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury, Stingley started every game and has a career-high 54 tackles, four tackles for losses, 18 passes defensed and tied his career-high with five interceptions for the second year in a row for the AFC South champions.
“Yeah, Stingley has played good ball for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s made a lot of plays, taking the ball away. I think people have recognized what he’s able to do around the league. I think he has the respect of his peers, coaches around the league. They see the growth. They see how he’s stepped up and took on some tough challenges throughout the year.
‘So, he deserves whatever credit that he’s getting. I think it matters most when it’s coming from your peers and coaches around the league. People who are constantly watching film, diving in and they know how they truly know how guys are playing and how they are helping their teams and I think Stingley has earned that respect around the league.”
Stingley is eligible for a contract extension this offseason and is certainly deserving of a blockbuster payday, which the Texans are more than amenable to negotiating at the right time.
“He is probably the best athlete I have been around in my life,” Stroud said. “Ball skills, speed, strength, size and just someone who I have seen grow as a player. I am just very happy for him, especially having this type of year before I think he can renegotiate. I know he is about to get a bag and I am happy for him, he deserves it. That is not his motivation, which is dope, it is just being elite at football, and I think he is going to be great in this league for a long time.”
Collins is another first-time Pro Bowl, despite missing five games with a pulled hamstring. At one point, Collins was on pace for over 100 catches and 2,000 receiving yards. He has 63 catches for 968 yards and six touchdowns after signing a three-year, $75 million contract this offseason. He ranks fourth in the NFL and second in the AFC with 88.0 receiving yards per game. He can become the fourth wide receiver in franchise history to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with 32 more receiving yards Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Tunsil leads the Texans in pass protection grades, according to Pro Football Focus analytics, and started every game. He is a starter in the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row and was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time. He hasn’t allowed a sack since the first game and is ranked fourth in the NFL with an 89.0 pass blocking grade and second in the AFC.
Mixon, acquired in an offseason trade from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, has been one of general manager Nick Caserio’s best offseason moves.
Signed to a three-year, $27 million contract extension Mixon is back in the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career after rushing for 993 yards and 11 touchdowns for an average of 4.1 yards per carry.
He has 35 receptions for 304 yards with one touchdown in 13 starts., missing time with a high-ankle sprain suffered on an illegal hip drop tackle against the Chicago Bears. Mixon is the only player in the league to accumulate 1,200 yards from scrimmage in each of the last four seasons. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week award after a 150-yard rushing game agains thte Indianapolis Colts and became the first player since at least 1970 to post at least 100 rushing yards and a touchdown in six consecutive road contests this season.
The Pro Bowl is a two-day skills challenge in Orlando starting Jan. 30 followed by a flag football game on Feb. 2.
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
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