Scouting Report: Darius Slay Playing at High Level

Former longtime Lions cornerback Darius Slay will be back in Detroit this Sunday. He and the Philadelphia Eagles will square off with the Lions, as part of their regular season opener.

It'll be the second time the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback faces off with his former employer in Detroit. The first time came in Week 8 a season ago, when Slay and the Eagles blew out Dan Campbell's squad, 44-6, at Ford Field.

In the homecoming for Slay, the one-time Lions shutdown corner recorded a fumble recovery in the third quarter, and proceeded to return the fumble 33 yards for a touchdown.

It was a prime example of Slay, now 31 years old, still being capable of making big plays. Campbell, for one, has taken notice.

"Yeah, I think that -- look, wherever -- when you're able to -- you have ability and then, as you continue to develop through the years, you've still got plenty of ability. But, you've just gained knowledge of the game and how you play different receivers and what you can get away with, what you can't. And, that's where you've seen him (Slay) grow, and that's why he's still playing at a high level," Campbell told reporters earlier this week about the former Lions defensive back.

Slay, who was a second-round pick of Detroit in 2013, played the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Lions, and amassed 19 total interceptions, including a career-and-NFL-best eight picks in 2017. He also made three Pro Bowl trips, and earned All-Pro recognition once during his Lions tenure.

On Slay, Campbell continued, "I thought even -- I mean, I went back and watched the playoff game (against Tampa Bay) last night. But, there's some things in there that -- look, he's still -- he knows exactly who he is and what he is capable of. And, we're going to have to try to -- we're going to have to work. We're going to have to work on both sides. But, we're going to have to work, because you've got (Eagles CB James) Bradberry on the other side. Yeah, I know they feel real good about him over there, and I can understand why."

Slay, indeed, is still playing at a high level. In two seasons with the Eagles (31 games), he's recorded four interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 93 total tackles, including seven for loss. He's also produced two fumble recoveries, both of which he's returned for touchdowns.

Additionally, Pro Football Focus gave Slay an 86.2 coverage grade for his efforts in 2021, tops among all outside cornerbacks in the NFL. Per PFF, he also ranked 11th in both yards allowed per outside-coverage snap (0.79) and percentage of outside targets to result in a first down or touchdown (29.4 percent).

It was an impressive season for the veteran defensive back, and it resulted in him being ranked by PFF as the No. 6 outside corner entering the 2022 season.

To me, it spells trouble for Lions starting signal-caller Jared Goff passing Slay's way. And maybe, just maybe, “Big Play Slay” has another big play in him this Sunday.