The landscape of the NFC North is headlined by great defensive players. Khalil Mack, Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, to name a few. But one name continues to jump out each year. Detroit Lions star cornerback Darius Slay.

Slay is somewhat ignored nationally. In Detroit, Slay is a local celebrity and the talk of the town along with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Many might not include Slay in their Top Ten cornerback rankings, which seems criminal. Slay has been consistently one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since being drafted in 2013 by the Lions.

Slay is special. The ascent of his play has been amazing to watch. And with him being the most slept on CB in the NFL, his true lockdown corner status deserves far more attention.

Slay’s grown as a man and a player

Slay’s journey to being a star CB hit a rocky road in high school. He had his son, Darion when he was only a freshman in high school. Slay became a single father throughout his high school, college, and early NFL career. He even thought about quitting football to focus on being a father full time.

All of that caused Slay to grow up fast. He is thought of as a model player throughout the league. Whether that be his philanthropic efforts in Detroit or his demeanor on and off the field, Slay is a class act.

Slay came up in high school as a two-star recruit and got little to no attention. He was a two-time All-State athlete in high school and set school records in interceptions and pass breakups during his time at Brunswick High School. He took the JUCO route and played two seasons there, where he would be named All-Region twice. As a JUCO product, he was ranked as a three-star recruit. He chose Mississippi State over other premier college football programs.

Darius Slay would be a two-year starter at Mississippi State and register 27 pass breakups over those two years. He was able to become a second-day draft pick, largely due to his hard work and perseverance.

Slay, in a sit-down interview with NFL Network, has stated that the experience with his son matured him and allowed him to grown on and off the field. His desire to set an example for his son has been a driving force.

Slay’s 2018 was elite for the Lions

When you talk about elite cornerbacks in the NFC North, Slay is right up there with the best of them. While his ball production dipped from eight interceptions and 13 pass breakups to three interceptions and 12 pass breakups, his catch rate went down from 57% to 52% per Pro Football Focus. That was the third-lowest catch rate in the NFL last season.

Slay’s truly bad game was against the Green Bay Packers when Davante Adams torched him for 126 yards. The next time the two met, Slay locked Adams down for 3 receptions and a 33% catch rate for that game.

Run support was a huge plus for Slay this year as well. In run support, he actually made 21 of 47 tackles only missing two.

Slay has all the makings of a Top 10 CB and was the best CB in the NFC North last year given the down season posted by Rhodes. Slay only allowed 256 yards against number one receivers last season and only 3 touchdowns. 126 of those yards were against Adams in one game. Slay simply locked down guys all year long.

Slay is a top-tier CB

Slay is a two-time Pro Bowler and was an all-pro selection in 2017. He got more than enough recognition for his top-flight year in 2017, but many seemed to allow him to fade into the background come the following season. Slay took possibly a slight step back, but he is still here and as good as ever.

He is the heart of the Lions defense at only 28 years of age. With that athleticism and his natural acumen to be such a high IQ player and read and react the way he does, Slay should not drop off anytime soon.

So, when you are discussing the top CBs out there, don’t forget the guy in Detroit. Darius Slay is a true lockdown CB and should be talked about and treated as such.