Darius Slay is a former six-time Pro Bowl cornerback who spent 13 years in the NFL, so he has seen plenty of talented wide receivers.
Slay announced his retirement from the NFL in March, and he has now done some work on ESPN. On Tuesday, Slay was on “NFL Live,” and he named the top-5 toughest WRs he has ever faced, and Detroit Lions legend Calvin Johnson was at the top of the list.
Here was Slay’s top five in order.
Slay called him “The GOAT,” and Slay was drafted by the Lions in the second round in 2013, so he has seen plenty of practice reps with Johnson.
Slay spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Lions before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2020 season. He then spent five seasons in Philadelphia before playing in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers released Slay after 10 games, and he decided to retire in the offseason.
Johnson being named the best WR isn’t much of a surprise. Johnson, also known as “Megatron,” holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,964) and the most consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards (8) and most consecutive games with at least 10 catches (4).
So, it certainly seems like Slay knows a thing or two about NFL wide receivers.
