Bleeding Green Nation
It’s been five years since the Eagles traded for Darius Slay. Who won the trade between the Eagles and Lions?
Coming off a Super Bowl victory, the Philadelphia Eagles faced a number of difficult roster decisions during the 2025 offseason. Chief among them was what to do with cornerback Darius Slay, who was a critical piece of the secondary since his acquisition via trade from the Detroit Lions in 2020. Given the encouraging rookie seasons from 2024 draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the writing was on the wall for Slay entering his age-34 season. The Eagles made the decision to release Slay, ending a star-studded tenure in Philadelphia.
Slay’s departure provides an opportune moment to look back at the original trade with the Lions to determine who got the better end of the deal: Philadelphia or Detroit? Let’s take a closer look.
Eagles receive: CB Darius Slay
Lions receive: 2020 third-round pick (85), 2020 fifth-round pick (166)
Darius Slay immediately became an important starter and stabilizing force in the Eagles secondary, starting 14 games in 2020. His value would only increase from there, as Slay was named to three straight Pro Bowls from 2021-2023. Slay received a two-year contract extension in 2023, keeping him with the Eagles through the 2025 season. While his play dipped a little in 2024, Slay was still a major piece on a Super Bowl-winning defense. He was released for salary cap reasons heading into 2025, and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Overall, Slay was a slam-dunk acquisition for Philadelphia. He started 73 games over five seasons, received three Pro Bowl selections, and helped the Eagles achieve two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl victory, six total postseason wins, and four straight playoff trips from 2021-2024. While he did have injury issues throughout his tenure that caused him to miss time in all but one of his seasons in Philadelphia, he was an integral player who helped lead the Eagles through a tumultuous 2020 and into a period of sustained postseason success.
The Lions received a 2020 third-round pick (85) and a 2020 fifth-round pick (166) from the Eagles in exchange for Darius Slay. Detroit would then go on to trade pick 85 as a part of a trade-up package with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2020 NFL Draft. The Lions sent 85, 149 (fifth), and 182 (sixth) to Indianapolis, getting back 75 and 197 (sixth) in return. Detroit selected guard Jonah Jackson with pick 75 and defensive tackle John Penisini with pick 197. The Lions also selected wide receiver Quintez Cephus with pick 166.
Obviously, the Eagles are extremely happy with how this deal turned out for them. Slay was a steal at the price of just a...
