Both Eagles all-star cornerbacks rank among the top 15 players at their position

They couldn't be any more dissimilar in terms of their personality traits. Darius Slay is as outspoken as they come and one of the most entertaining people to follow on Twitter. James Bradberry rarely logs into his social media accounts, and he speaks so infrequently publicly that many Philadelphia Eagles fans have no idea what his voice sounds like.

Both love playing one-on-one coverage, but James is more physical. Here's what's most important. Despite the contrast, they have nothing but respect for one another. They're also one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL. Some say they are the best.

If you don't believe us, check out those stat gurus at one of our favorite NFL publications. They gave both a tip of the cap recently.

Pro Football Focus ranks the NFL's top 32 cornerbacks. Darius Slay and James Bradberry both land in the top 15.

Few publications garner the attention that Pro Football Focus does. You may disagree with their ratings. You may tell yourself and your friends that you're confused about where they stand, but let's be honest. Everyone knows who they are. Everyone, at some point or another, pays attention to what they are saying. That's all you can ask for when the platform is as large as theirs.

Recently, they stacked the top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season. Both members of Philly's starting duo landed among the top 15 players mentioned. Slay was ranked third. James checked in at 13. Only Stephon Gilmore and Trevon Diggs share the same distinction. They land at six and eight respectively. Here's the reasoning for Slay and Bradberry's rankings.

We begin with the man known as 'Big Play'.

"Slay had another excellent year in Philadelphia, and his effectiveness was only enhanced by James Bradberry‘s arrival. 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."

- Sam Monson, PFF

Here's Sam Monson's take on James Bradberry.

"As the best cornerback on a poor Giants defense, Bradberry looked a little in over his head. 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)."

If you're interested, Sauce Gardner and Jalen Ramsey are ahead of Slay. James is preceded by all three and the following NFL stars: Patrick Surtain, Jaire Alexander, Stephon Gilmore, Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, Jaycee Horn, Jamel Dean, Charvarius Ward, and A.J. Terrell. You can probably argue that James is ahead of some of those guys, but we'll save that discussion for another day.

Heading into the coming NFL season, there's only one concern expressed about Philly's shining stars, age. Slay just turned 32. James turns 30 years young on August 4th.

The former wasn't as hot at the end of last season as he was at its beginning. The latter has yet to show any signs of dramatic regression. Everyone has high expectations for both as the coming season nears, and they should. One, Slay has enjoyed consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. The other, James, was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2022. Cue the fireworks because we figure to see a few.