Eagles Host Darius Slay, Draft’s Fastest CB

The Eagles added a pair of cornerbacks – Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher – in free agency, but they very well could look to add another in the first few rounds of this month’s draft.

Alabama’s Dee Milliner is the consensus top option on the board, but behind him, there are several quality corners who are expected to go in the first three rounds. One of them, Mississippi State’s Darius Slay, had an official visit with the Eagles, according to Adam Caplan.

Slay (6-0, 192) has great measurables. In addition to size, he ran the fastest 40 time (4.36) of any cornerback at the Combine. Slay and his college teammate, Johnthan Banks, are both expected to be Day 2 picks. Banks (6-2, 185) has better length, but he ran a disappointing 4.61 at the Combine.

NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote recently that Banks is better today, but Slay has a “much higher ceiling.”

A junior college transfer, Slay played two seasons at Mississippi State and had five interceptions in 2012, earning second-team All-SEC honors.

Below is a cut-up of Slay, courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com. But I would warn that cornerbacks and safeties are especially difficult to evaluate off of TV tape.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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