Darius Slay

Slay briefly appeared to be headed elsewhere in March, but the Eagles elected to bring him back on a two-year, $42 million extension, so his 11th year as a professional will be his fourth in midnight green. His veteran presence will be key for a team that lost its five leading tacklers this offseason. Slay finished sixth with 55 tackles last season and picked off three passes, the latter of which matched the second-best mark of his career. He'll remain a starting cornerback opposite James Bradberry for his age-33 campaign.

This past season, his second with the Eagles, Slay tallied 52 tackles (40 solo), three interceptions, three touchdowns, two fumble recoveries and nine pass defenses across 16 appearances. Looking ahead, the 31-year-old, who made his fourth Pro Bowl in 2021, will work as a starting cornerback opposite newcomer James Bradberry.

For the most part in 2020, Slay did what he was paid to do, and that was shut down opposing No. 1 receivers. He did so while also producing his best tackle mark in years, coming just two shy of his career-high 61. The now 30-year-old could begin to slow down with age, but he remains a good bet to continue to produce given the relative dearth of talent around him in the Eagles secondary.

Opposing teams have picked on Eagles corners for years, and GM Howie Roseman finally decided to put a stop to that by acquiring one of the league's premier shutdown corners in Slay. The 29-year-old immediately signed a three-year, $50 million extension, and the Eagles will look to him to shut down the bevy of top receivers on their schedule in 2020 while they hope the rest of their secondary holds up. Slay should be up to the task, as he leads the NFL with 99 passes defensed since becoming a full-time starter in 2014.

Slay doesn't get enough credit for how well he played the past few years despite getting little help from the pass rush. While his 2018 campaign (43 tackles, 17 PBUs, three interceptions) was a slight statistical letdown from his 2017 season when he racked up 60 tackles, 26 PBUs and eight picks over 16 games, Slay still put up impressive numbers - and it wouldn't surprise anyone if he bounces back to his 2017 first-team All-Pro form in 2019 given the improvements Detroit made to other areas of its defense. Not only was $90 million defensive end Trey Flowers added to a defensive line that already included Damon Harrison and A'Shawn Robinson, the Lions also beefed up a solid linebacking corps with the addition of third-round rookie Jahlani Tavai and also signed cornerback Justin Coleman to a lucrative to bolster the secondary. Add it all up, and the 28-year-old Slay once more checks in as one of the best bets for production at the cornerback position.

Finally recognized as one of the elite cornerbacks in the league, Slay was named an AP first-team All-Pro for a performance in 2017 that saw him rack up a league-leading 26 pass breakups - which is four more than the next closest player. Moreover, Slay's eight interceptions were tied for the league lead while his 55.6 quarterback rating allowed was sixth-lowest among all defensive backs. Racking up 60 tackles along the way, Slay ultimately turned in his first top-10 fantasy campaign among defensive backs. While it could be hard for him to reach these kinds of numbers again, Slay remains firmly on the IDP radar ahead of the 2018 campaign.

The Lions spent a second-round pick on another cornerback in this year's draft, but Slay remains atop the depth chart. Coming off a third straight season with at least two picks and 13 passes defensed, the ultra-consistent Ole Miss product possesses a high floor as an IDP prospect ahead of the 2017 season.

Slay has averaged 60 tackles, 15 passes defensed and a pair of interceptions during his two healthy seasons in Detroit. Last season, those numbers were just enough to finish as the 81st-ranked defensive back in IDP scoring. Barring an uptick in production, Slay will remain a better real-life cornerback than fantasy player, and is best left on the waiver wire.

The 2013 second-round pick took a big step forward in 2014, where he emerged as the team's top corner. While he picked off just two passes on the season, he got his hands on plenty more, ranking in the top 10 in the league with 17 passes defensed. He also chipped in 61 tackles. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin made his rise in the league as a defensive-back guru and so Slay could see his stock continue to rise, especially if he is able to turn a few of his passes defensed into interceptions

Slay will backup the Lions' corners this season, but there will be some competition in camp after the Lions were mediocre against the pass last season.

Slay is one of the draft's elite athletes at any position, not to mention cornerback. Slay, however, was not especially polished at Mississippi State and wasn't as effective as several of the corners he was selected ahead of. He will likely compete with Bill Bentley to start opposite Chris Houston.