The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a strategic move by signing cornerback Darius Slay, previously with the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. Today, we’ll dive into whether Slay’s performance in coverage has slipped statistically and explore what his presence might bring to Pittsburgh in 2025.
To start, let’s assess his targets and Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage grades:
In the charts we’ve examined, Slay stood out significantly, outperforming the 2024 Steelers’ cornerbacks. He faced 87 targets, ranking him 17th in the league, and earned the 13th-best coverage grade at 75.5 out of 88 qualifying corners, each playing at least 350 snaps in coverage. This data underscores Slay’s vital role in one of the league’s top defenses.
Joey Porter Jr. was another standout performer, facing an above-average 79 targets, placing 31st. However, the rest of the Steelers corners lagged in performance, including Donte Jackson, whom Slay hopes to surpass in effectiveness.
Now, let’s delve into Slay’s production through catch rates allowed and forced incompletions:
Slay again proves superior, not just to his new teammates but to most of the league. His 17 forced incompletions were tied for the league highest, complemented by a stellar 51.7% catch rate, ranking third-best last year. His top-three finishes in both metrics are exceedingly impressive and suggest he’s maintained a high level of play (fingers crossed).
This involved having the second-most pass breakups in the league, making things remarkably challenging for opposing receivers. In contrast, Porter logged eight forced incompletions, a typical league average. Jackson allowed the lowest completion rate for the 2024 Steelers but struggled to force incompletions.
Looking ahead to 2025, an expectation for Slay would be to increase interceptions, as he recorded just one across regular and postseason play. Jackson snagged five INTs, standing fourth in the NFL, but Slay has the upper hand in overall coverage skills.
Lastly, let’s examine Slay’s tackling abilities. Here are the stats for coverage tackles and missed tackle rates:
Yet again, Slay scores above average in both categories. He recorded 49 coverage tackles, tying him at 14th with others, including Porter. This is a good sign for the Steelers lineup, which suffered from missed tackles last year.
Unfortunately for Jackson, he found himself at the lower end of the spectrum, being one of 2024’s weakest tacklers. Meanwhile, Cory Trice Jr. proved reliable, with zero missed tackles in coverage, despite limited opportunities.
In summary, the Steelers made a wise choice by bringing in an experienced veteran like Slay to strengthen their cornerback arsenal. Despite his age, Slay’s coverage has remained exceptional, much like a fine wine improving over time. It’s a testament to Alex Kozora’s recent analysis in the Darius Slay Film Room. Although no one outruns Father Time, Pittsburgh hopes they’ve acquired a player who can defy it and elevate their secondary in 2025.
