Friday open thread: Is Darius Slay a top 10 cornerback?

The Detroit Lions are looking to make a big step defensively in 2017. After grading out as the worst defense according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA last season, it’s hard to imagine an even worse this year.

But while the Lions defense has been getting worse, cornerback Darius Slay has continued to get better... and he knows it.

Although Slay is playing at a high level, he hasn’t quite been getting the respect he deserves. He has yet to make a Pro Bowl, nor has he been named to an All-Pro team. He wasn’t named to NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2017 list, even though the list featured 10 cornerbacks.

Despite not getting the respect of the rest of the league, the Detroit Lions clearly know Slay’s value. Last year, they inked Slay to a four-year, $48 million deal, which made him the seventh-highest paid cornerback in the league at the time.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Do you think Darius Slay is a top 10 cornerback?

My answer: Avid PODcast listeners already know my answer to this question. Two weeks ago, myself, Ryan Mathews and Chris Lemieux listed our top 10 cornerbacks for the 2017 season.

Slay was on Ryan’s and Chris’s lists, but he was just outside my top 10. Here is my list:

1. Patrick Peterson
2. Aqib Talib
3. Chris Harris
4. Malcolm Butler
5. Richard Sherman
6. Josh Norman
7. Marcus Peters
8. Xavier Rhodes
9. Casey Hayward
10. Janoris Jenkins

Your turn.