Detroit Lions shutdown cornerback Darius Slay checks in at No. 86 on NFL Top-100 list entering the 2019 season. This is the second consecutive season Slay has been acknowledged on this list.
After what many considered a down season in 2018, Slay has been surprisingly absent on most 2019 top-cornerback lists. But, the NFL Top-100 list is voted on by his peers — not evaluators — where he is held in higher regard, so this inclusion was anticipated.
Slay received several congratulations and compliments on social media from teammates like Damon Harrison and Quandre Diggs (who, no surprise thought 86 was too low), as well as players throughout the NFL like Richard Sherman and retired players like Quentin Jammer.
In the NFL’s segment on Slay (below), his gameplay was discussed by several NFL players, including, Matthew Slater (WR, Patriots) who begins the video by saying, “He always finds himself around the ball, and then when he does, he finishes the plays. Last year (2017) he led the league in picks and I think that deterred people from throwing his way this year.”
Other complementary quotes from the segment include:
- “I love to watch one-on-one matchups so the guy that I like to watch that I kind of like to pattern my game after is Darius Slay. I love his game.” — Tre’Davious White (Bills, corner)
- “Man, that’s a guy who’s a playmaker. He’s going to go after the ball” — Prince Amukamara (Bears, corner)
- “He’s real confident, too. You can see it in his playstyle. The way he goes after guys, you can kinda feel his presence out there.” — Davante Adams (Packers wide receiver)
