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Darius Slay is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and yet he’s spent the bulk of the 2020 offseason battling disrespect from analysts and pundits who feel his game has slipped some.
On various cornerback rankings from multiple sites around the web, Slay has been outright omitted or slighted when it comes to acknowledging the top cover guys in the NFL.
ESPN.com finally got it right and in Jeremy Fowler’s ranking of the top-10 cornerbacks in the NFL, Slay rightfully landed in the top-5 at No. 4 on the list.
4. Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 29 | Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 12Slay isn’t coming off his best season in Detroit, but unrest existed between Slay and the Lions organization. Plus, Lions corners played consistent man despite the defense ranking next to last in sacks with 28, applying more pressure on downfield routes.
“Slay is a guy you’ll go into Sunday with all day,” said one NFL coordinator. “He’ll play man coverage all day — he’ll battle, not afraid to get in spaces, match up with anyone, and he can run.”
Over the last three seasons, Slay allowed the league’s third-lowest completion percentage as the nearest defender, at 51.8.
That’s why the Eagles are elated to get Slay, who signed a $50 million extension with the team after Philadelphia swung a trade with Detroit. The Eagles held out for a lead corner for the last two years and got the deal they wanted.
“He’s got natural ball skills and awareness in the open field, which will help him age well,” said an NFC defensive assistant coach.
Slay is one of the most valuable cornerbacks in the NFL since 2014 and his 74 forced incompletions over that stretch were the most in the NFL as well. Expect to see Slay have a huge 2020 season as he works to silence the haters.
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