Eagles star Darius Slay cracks NFL's Top 100 Players of 2023 ranking

Even in a year that wasn't his best, the man we affectionately refer to as 'Big Play' stands head and shoulders above many of his peers in the NFL at his position. How is this for a pick-me-up? Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowler Darius Slay has found his way onto the NFL's Top 100 Players of 2023 ranking. This comes three days after his teammate and good friend DeVonta Smith opened the party by making the cut for the first time at 100.

The votes have been counted, and Slay takes up residency as the pro football's 65th-ranked star. We can argue about whether he's too high or low, but regardless of what side you're on, it's nice to see his name on the list.

Take a look.

Expect Darius Slay and James Bradberry to continue giving nightmares to every opposing quarterback on the Eagles' schedule.

Slay is one-half of what might be the best outside cornerback duo in all of pro football, one that also features 2022 Second-Team All-Pro James Bradberry. We're still scratching our heads about how J.B. was named as an All-Pro but got snubbed by Pro Bowl voters, but that's another story for another day.

It's obvious that both Slay and Bradberry, individually and as a tandem, are one tough out for opposing quarterbacks. This year's campaign is a gauntlet for the Birds with some phenomenal quarterback talent on the schedule. We'll see how new Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai elects to deploy his weapons, but he has a couple of nice chess pieces on the outside in the secondary.

Slay is the talker, but he's smooth and gifted. He possesses some of the most impressive God-given natural instincts that any cover man can ask for. Still, he didn't look as impressive during the back half of the most recent Eagles season as he did in the front half. Fingers are crossed that he's more consistent this season.

Bradberry couldn't be any more different than his running mate from the standpoint of personality traits. A silent assassin, it's easy to forget what his voice sounds like at times. He likes to play bump-and-run and mix it up with receivers.

Last season, Big Play Slay notched 55 tackles, 14 pass breakups, and three interceptions during the regular season before adding 12 more stops and a PBU in the postseason. J.B. tallied 44 tackles, 17 PBUs, and three picks of his own during the regular season.

One interception was transformed into a pick-six defensive TD. Then, during Philly's march to Super Bowl LVII, Bradberry racked up ten more stops and a pair of PBUs. He also picked off his former team, the New York Giants in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs. That had to have been very satisfying.

Check out a few of these other Eagles stories as well.