Darius Slay, and James Bradberry pairing reminds fans of a familiar Eagles cornerback duo

Darius Slay and James Bradberry pairing reminds fans of a familiar Philadelphia Eagles cornerback duo

Philadelphia had several pressing needs entering the 2022 NFL offseason, but it’s now safe to say the Eagles’ front office can be comfortable at this point when assessing the secondary.

With the acquisition of James Bradberry to pair with Darius Slay at the cornerback position, the Eagles now have two of the NFL’s most talented cover guys under one roof.

If both players can perform at their best, together, this will give the Eagles a dynamic duo at cornerback for the first time since Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown.

Sheppard was taken with the No. 21 overall pick in 2002, and then the Eagles traded up with the Dolphins to get Brown at No. 59; in exchange, Philadelphia sent Miami a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick.

At the time, Philadelphia was transitioning away from Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor in their secondary, and the 2002 duo helped usher in the most successful 5-6 year period in franchise history.

For Jonathan Gannon’s regime, it’ll be about the veteran cornerbacks, along with Avonte Maddox giving the Eagles a trio that can hold their own against any passing attack in the league.

Add in Gannon’s scheme, and Philadelphia’s pass rushers and you have the recipe for a deep playoff run and frustrated opposing wide receivers.

[vertical-gallery id=667455]

[listicle id=667431]

[listicle id=667448]

[lawrence-related id=667481,667479,667427,667422,667394]

NFL Draft: Ranking the Eagles best 1st-round picks since 2000

Ranking the Philadelphia Eagles best 1st-round picks since 2000

The 2020 NFL is less than two weeks away and the Eagles will have the opportunity to alter the course of their franchise with the 21st pick.

The Eagles will have the option of several talented wideouts, they could target a defender or trade back altogether.

The Eagles history in the first round features some all-time greats and several busts that have left stains on the franchise.

Here’s an Eagles Wire ranking of the best first-round picks for the franchise since 2000.

***

Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. Fletcher Cox, DT, 12th pick in 2012 draft

Cox dealt with constant double teams and a nagging injury but still was a monster down the stretch for the Eagles in 2019. During his career, Cox has started 119 of 125 games played, racking up 367 tackles, 48 sacks, 14 passes defended and 11 forced fumbles.

Cox has been named an All-Pro four times in his career and he’s a five-time Pro Bowler as well.