The Philadelphia Eagles were able to address their biggest need this offseason, acquiring cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions for draft picks.
Slay is one of the NFL’s top cover men, yet he’s been disrespected on more than one occasion this offseason. Slay previously stated that he felt his 2019 season was “fantastic” despite critics and analysts suggesting that he was statistically one of the worst in the league.
Now in a list of the top players in coverage from NFL.com, Slay was again omitted for some lesser-known talent.
Using metrics that included passer rating allowed, catch rate allowed below expectation, tight-window percentage, target rate, and average separation yards.
Stephon Gilmore of New England was the No. 1 player on the list and deservedly so. Gilmore was followed by the Patriots J.C. Jackson, Justin Simmons, Tre’Darius White, and Bears safety Eddie Jackson rounded out the top-5.
In 2019 Slay managed a coverage grade of just 56.9, which ranked 92nd in the NFL as he racked up 36 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions, and 0 forced fumbles.
Slay allowed 346 yards on 162 press coverage snaps, and 177 yards on 214 off-man coverage snaps.
The numbers are misleading and don’t really tell the full story as Slay was on a Lions team that had the worst pass defense in 2019, giving up almost 2845 yards per game. The Lions also had the second-lowest sack rate (28) in the league, thus forcing Slay in coverage longer than expected.
Darius Slay's match-and-mirror ability is still up there with the best in the NFL.
Shadowing every team's top receiver in and away from the slot is a tall order, but he was always in his opponent's hip pocket — some of his best reps are on catches allowed. pic.twitter.com/mv3MyJG2AZ
— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) March 19, 2020
Even with the numbers, Slay was still one of the best in overall coverage and should make the list on merit alone and should definitely add fuel to his already growing fire.
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