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In this series I’ll be going over who I think will be the top 20 impact players for the Lions in 2018, next up is Darius Slay.

He was the figurehead of the defense last season and I don’t see him slowing down at all next year. Big play Slay will be back and returning to shutdown opposing number one receivers again in 2018.

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Last time out was Darius Slays best campaign to date. He led the league in interceptions with eight and also led the league with pass breakups at 21. For me those two stats make him a huge playmaker and an impact player on an already strong Lions secondary. Having a strong secondary unit can make a sub-par defensive line look better than it is and vice versa. However it’s definitely the Lions secondary that stands out as one of its strengths. Last season it seemed that whenever the Lions needed a defensive stand or play to be made it was either Slay or Glover Quin that would step up and make it.

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Another things that will make him an impact player is the fact that he is reliable. You can leave him on an island with nearly any number one receiver and make the game a 10 v 10. His impact alone will mean opposing quarterbacks could have to wait that extra second for a throw where they will take a sack. Or they will force a throw into strong coverage which could lead to a turnover. I’d be surprised if his stats this coming year are as high as that of last season due to the defensive philosophy of Matt Patricia but his impact will still be huge.

The bend don’t break style will probably mean that he is asked to make less spectacular plays but even if the stats don’t show how well he performs. He could well have that Patrick Peterson type of season like last year where he is ignored so won’t have the chance to get his stats up.

List so far:

Rick Wagner – #20

Jamal Agnew – #19

Kerry Hyder – #18

Da’Shawn Hand – #17

Taylor Decker – #16

Frank Ragnow – #15

Matt Prater – #14

LeGarrette Blount – #13

Teez Tabor – #12

Devon Kennard – #11

Quandre Diggs – #10

Golden Tate – #9

Jarrad Davis – #8

Glover Quin – #7

Marvin Jones – #6

A’Shawn Robinson – #5

Kerryon Johnson – #4

Ezekiel Ansah – #3

Thanks for checking out the article everyone. Go Lions! Let me know what you think on Twitter @Alex_Watt_Lions and be sure to join the community on the Detroit Lions subreddit.