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Darius Slay reportedly won't need surgery on his injured right knee. (USATSI)

Darius Slay’s late push to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft may have been derailed on Wednesday when a report surfaced that the former Mississippi State recently suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Slay (6-0, 192) downplayed the report, telling NFL.com that doctors informed him that the injury would not require surgery. Since the diagnosis was made, the quick, fluid cornerback worked out with the Eagles and Falcons last week. Of the 16 teams Slay worked out for during the pre-draft process, he said only one asked for an additional MRI on his knee.

"They say I just need to ice it down because it's not that bad. And then I can get right back up," Slay said. "Nobody said I needed surgery."

Despite only spending one season on the FBS level, Slay has ascended rapidly in recent weeks after his stellar performance at the NFL scouting combine. The former Bulldogs’ cornerback impressed scouts with his exceptional ball skills and posted a time of 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash, the fastest among defensive backs in Indianapolis. Slay indicated that he has garnered significant interest from the Giants, which own the No. 19 and No. 49 picks in the first two rounds.

"They've been calling me lately,” Slay told the Bergen Record. “I think they like me a lot, I think I'm pretty hot for them"

In 2012, Slay led the Bulldogs with five interceptions while adding six pass breakups. Slay teamed with former Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks on a Bulldogs’ squad that tied for fifth in FBS in turnover margin (1.23 per game).

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