Second-day Eagles draft prospects worth pairing with Darius Slay

Might the Eagles wait until Round 2 to find their other starting corner?

Despite the way it ended, the 2021-2022 Philadelphia Eagles season proved to us that this team wasn’t a total train wreck. That’s a good thing, but embarrassing losses versus some of the NFL’s better competition reminded us of how far this team was from being a contender. It also reminded us of a few things that we tried to convince ourselves weren’t true.

This team has some pieces. It also has some holes. Darius Slay falls in the category of the former. Questions about who steps in at the other starting cornerback are demonstrations of the latter.

Now, we shouldn’t discredit the job that Steben Nelson did. He was okay at times, but he’s closer to ‘good’ than ‘great’. He’s also at the end of his one-year deal, and so far, Philly’s brass hasn’t shown a ton of interest in bringing him back.

The Eagles waited until Round 4 in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Zech McPhearson. Some believe they should have taken a cover guy sooner, and so far, the jury is out on whether McPhearson’s selection has proven that theory to be true.

Don’t be shocked if they take a cornerback early in the next selection meeting. Don’t be shocked if they ignore the position in Round 1 to address other needs. You also shouldn’t be shocked if one of those first-round selections is traded away.

This isn’t a deep class of cornerbacks, but there are solid options, especially on Day 2. Here’s a ranking of five guys who should be available in rounds two and three that would pair well with Big Play Slay.