The Houston Texans have wrapped up the NFL Draft, and their new players have a lot to learn. Outside of playbooks, schemes, and other responsibilities, rookies have a lot to figure out, especially when it comes to their new teammates.
The Texans will hold rookie minicamp on either of the next two weekends to get to know their fellow classmen, and minicamp won’t be far behind. One Texans rookie decided to get a head start on the bonding process on social media on Monday and had a back-and-forth with one of his future teammates.
Jalylin Noel Has Back-and-Forth With Derek Stingley After Being Drafted by Texans
The exchange involved Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and second-round pick Jaylin Noel. The interaction began back at the Senior Bowl in February when Noel was asked which cornerback he wanted to go up against in the NFL, and the Iowa State receiver replied he wanted to match up with Stingley.
“I would say Derek Stingley,” Noel said to Roundtable Sports Network. “I would say he’s probably [the] top two corners in the league right now.”
Little did Noel know he would be selected by the Texans with the 79th overall pick in the draft. When the team re-posted the conversation on social media, it caught the attention of Stingley, who re-posted the clip with a shaking hands emoji and the word “iron.”
The reference is to the Bible verse Proverbs 27:17 which states that “iron sharpens iron.” The phrase states that wise people should be questioning, encouraging, coaching, and challenging each other, and the Texans rookie responded with a shaking hands emoji of his own, seemingly accepting the challenge.
Stingley has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL after being selected with the third overall pick in the 2022 draft, ranking third among qualifying cornerbacks with an 80.4 overall grade by Pro Football Focus last season. The 23-year-old also thrives in coverage, as his 84.4 overall coverage grade ranked second to Pat Surtain II.
Noel has posted an impressive career of his own to this point, catching 80 passes for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns for the Cyclones last season. While he did well enough to turn himself into a Day 2 draft pick, working against a cornerback like Stingley and alongside his college teammate Jayden Higgins should only help him moving forward and help what should be a challenging acclimation process.