With Eagles training camp 17 days away, we’re looking at the 30 most important Eagles of 2023, and All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay lands at No. 11 on the list.
The perception was that Big Play Slay slowed down as the season progressed, but he’s still dominant among the NFL’s elite.
Slay allowed 54.7% of passes thrown into his coverage to be caught during the regular season and let up fewer than 25 yards in his three playoff games.
Background
Position: Cornerback
Age: 32
Experience: 11th year Pro
2023 cap hit: $11,813,000
2022 recap
Slay had 48 tackles in 2022, allowing a 76.3 passer rating when targeted per PFF, along with allowing 12 yards per reception.
Slay has broken up 133 passes over the past 10 seasons, more than any player in that span.
2023 outlook
A second-round pick back in 2013, Slay earned an 83.9 coverage grade over the past three seasons that ranks fourth among all cornerbacks who played at least 1,000 coverage snaps in that span per PFF. Since 2020, he ranks 27th with 24 forced incompletions in the regular season and has allowed 143 receptions from 222 targets.
That domination should continue with James Bradberry on the opposite side, and a ferocious pass rush.
Big question: Can Slay maintain an elite level of play?
Slay recorded a pass defensed on 7 of his 17 targets in man coverage in 2022.
According to Next Gen Stats, Slay was targeted at the 2nd-lowest rate in man coverage among outside cornerbacks last season (12.1%, min. 100 coverage snaps).
Coming back for his 11th year, and at 32, can he maintain his elite status?
30 Most Important Eagles of 2023
We’re counting down our 30 Most Important Eagles of 2023. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp.
No. 30 Nicholas Morrow, No. 29 Milton Williams, No. 28 Olamide Zaccheaus, No. 27 Avonte Maddox, No. 26 Jake Elliott, No. 25 Rashaad Penny, No. 24 Quez Watkins, No. 23 Nolan Smith, No. 22 Kenneth Gainwell, No. 21 Terrell Edmunds, No. 20 Fletcher Cox, No. 19 Josh Sweat, No. 18 Marcus Mariota , No. 17 Brandon Graham, No. 16 D’Andre Swift, No. 15 James Bradberry, No. 14 Jordan Davis, No. 13 Landon Dickerson, No. 12 DeVonta Smith
