Darius Slay is a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback. through his seven seasons in the NFL, Slay has established himself as one of the best players at his position. So when he speaks on opposing wide receivers, one should take notice.
Thursday while speaking to fans on his Instagram live, Slay had high praise for Washington Redskins wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
“To be honest, that whole year, besides Keenan Allen, he was my hardest one that I covered that whole year,” Slay said on McLaurin. “He probably would have scored on me two times.”
Slay essentially said McLaurin was the second-hardest wide receiver for him to cover during the 2019 season.
McLaurin faced Slay in a Week 12 Redskins’ win over the Lions. In the game, McLaurin had five catches for 72 yards. However, as Slay alluded to, McLaurin could have had two touchdowns over him, as he sprung open but quarterback Dwayne Haskins overthrew him on both occasions.
Here’s a look at their showdown provided by snippets from Pro Football Focus:
McLaurin had one of the best rookie seasons for a wide receiver in franchise history. He led the Redskins in catches with 58, yards with 919 and receiving touchdowns with seven in 14 games. His 919 yards were seven shy of the Redskins’ rookie receiving record of 926 yards by Gary Clark in 1985.
People are taking notice of his play, including fellow players such as Slay.
“The Redskins got one,” Slay added. “They stole one from Ohio State. Terry nice. He’s nice, man.”
Stole one is probably the best way to describe the Redskins drafting McLaurin in the third round of last year’s draft. Washington envisioned him as a special teams player that could crack their top-4 wide receivers. However, he has been much more, showcasing his underrated route-running abilities and superb hands.
McLaurin emerged as the Redskins’ No. 1 wide receiver early in training camp. He played just three special team snaps last season.
The Redskins are expected to have roster turnover with new head coach Ron Rivera. However, McLaurin is set as the leader of a young receiving group that looks to improve on their impressive 2019 campaign.
