Derek Stingley Jr. Turning Heads Early at Texans OTAs

The Houston Texans have already seen a fair share of standouts throughout their offseason training program just a few days into their OTA practices.

Last week, it was Texans' All-Pro Will Anderson Jr. making his mark by "wrecking" practice to the point where DeMeco Ryans joked about sitting him out of practice so that the team could "actually practice."

And now kicking off the second week of Texans OTAs, it seems like Houston's All-Pro sitting in the secondary, Derek Stingley Jr., is the latest to make some waves within the building.

Derek Stingley Has Big Day at Texans OTAs

It was in the Texans' second OTAs practice open to the media where Stingley lit up for a big play in the secondary on quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Stingley logged a pick-six on Stroud during a pass intended for second-year wideout Jayden Higgins that ESPN's D.J. Bien-Aime describes as a catch made "like a receiver" that would inevitably be brought into the end zone for a defensive score.

#Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr just caught a pick-6 on an out route from QB CJ Stroud to WR Jayden Higgins.

Stingley jumped the route and caught it like a receiver and glided into the end zone.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) June 2, 2026

It's a prime example of the tough tests Stroud is faced with against this Texans defense every time he takes the field in practice, no matter what point of the year that might be.

In days where Houston doesn't have Will Anderson Jr. or Danielle Hunter on the field to wreck havoc in the trenches––which was the case during Tuesday's OTAs––he still has to deal with what might be the best cornerback, and the best secondary unit as a whole in the NFL.

And as shown through this practice in particular, it doesn't take long for the All-Pro and this elite group of defensive backs to make their presence felt in a big way.

DeMeco Ryans Praises Derek Stingley After Electric Practice

Jul 27, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

After Houston's OTAs session, Ryans would hand some notable praise to Stingley, for mainly the consistency his star corner has shown throughout the offseason thus far.

He even went as far as saying that the All-Pro is already in "mid-year form" despite being over three months away from kicking off Week 1 of the regular season.

"What I’ve seen from Stingley this year is, he comes out and he's as consistent as ever. He's in mid-year form already here in May and June," Ryans said of Stingley on Tuesday.

"He's making big-time plays, as we've all seen him make. He's doing a great job in coverage, being sticky, being exactly where he needs to be."

DeMeco Ryans on what he’s seen from CB Derek Stingley throughout the #Texans offseason:

🗣️“What I’ve seen from Stingley this year is, he comes out and he's as consistent as ever.”

“He's in mid-year form already here in May and June.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/346Y1Sx3Zz
— Houston Texans On SI (@TexansOnSI) June 2, 2026

Beyond just showcasing the on-field traits that everyone knows Stingley to possess as a multiple-time All-Pro, he's also beginning to rub off pretty positively on the Texans' young talent in the building.

Ryan’s highlighted the type of teammate Stingley has been throughout the team's OTAs so far to pair with his elite qualities in coverage that have made the Texans' coach the most proud.

"One thing I'm most proud of is Sting— and this is our entire group," Ryans continued. "Like, when you see a young guy make a play, one of our young corners makes a play, bats a ball down, to see the excitement from Sting, Kamari [Lassiter] on the sideline of them encouraging the young guys with the plays they're making, that's what I'm most excited to see."

The Texans' secondary is already shaping up to be just as dangerous, if not more so, from where they were at in 2025.

And as proven just a few days into OTAs, Stingley will be a cornerstone component of that success, just as he has been every single season since arriving on the scene as a top pick in 2022.

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