Eagles' Darius Slay, James Bradberry Appear on PFF’s Rankings of Top CBs
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At the outset of this offseason, there appeared to be a distinct possibility that the Philadelphia Eagles wouldn't retain one or both of their starting cornerbacks from a 2022 season that saw them reach the Super Bowl.
As it turned out, both Darius Slay and James Bradberry are back, and the Eagles are better off for it. In fact, Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 cornerbacks ahead of the 2023 season, and each of the veterans appeared on the list.
Slay -- who was on the cusp of being released before working out a two-year, $42 million extension to remain with the Eagles -- checked in at No. 3:
"Slay had another excellent year in Philadelphia, and his effectiveness was only enhanced by Bradberry‘s arrival," PFF wrote. "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 each of his three playoff games."
A Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons, Slay came in behind just Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets and Jalen Ramsey, who was traded by the Los Angeles Rams to the Miami Dolphins this offseason.
Meanwhile, after turning in a strong season on a prove-it deal, Bradberry returned on a three-year, $38 million contract, which guaranteed him $20 million. He appeared at No. 13 on PFF's countdown:
"As the best cornerback on a poor Giants defense, Bradberry looked a little in over his head," PFF wrote. "But as part of a dominant defense in Philadelphia last season, he was outstanding. Including the playoffs, he allowed a catch on 46.9% of passes thrown his way. It’s just unfortunate that one of his worst games of the season came in the Super Bowl (45.9 PFF game grade)."
The Dallas Cowboys (Stephon Gilmore, Trevon Diggs), Jets (Gardner, D.J. Reed), Dolphins (Ramsey, Xavien Howard) and Buffalo Bills (Tre'Davious White, Taron Johnson) were the only other teams with multiple cornerbacks that appeared on the list.
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