Prior to the NFL draft, opinions were mixed but largely positive on Florida interior offensive lineman Jake Slaughter.
Rather than circling back to the broad media consensus on the new Chargers offensive lineman, how did NFL evaluators feel about Slaughter?
Go Long’s Bob McGinn spoke with a few scouts ahead of the draft to get their opinions on Slaughter.
The first scout heaped high praise on Slaughter, highlighting his strengths.
He’ll end up being a starter. Maybe fourth round. When you look at all these centers in the league they’re mid-to-late (picks). He’s like that. He’s smart and he’s aggressive. He can pass protect. Good enough athlete. He’s a bender.
As a three-year starter in the SEC and two-time team captain at Florida, Slaughter was highly regarded for his technical proficiency, elite intelligence, and consistency.
He’ll be good. He just feels like one of those steady eddie guys. He’s a good enough athlete. He can bend. He can stay in front. He’s smart and has played a ton of football.
Slaughter is 6-foot-5, but he has a lighter frame at 303 pounds, which can be exposed by powerful defensive tackles, making it difficult for him to anchor against elite bull rushers
He’s one of those guys who struggled at times getting his weight up. But I think he’s been able to figure that out. He’s one of those guys that when he’s done playing in the league he’ll be like 220 in like a month. It’ll melt off him. He’s really a center only.
Despite starting 33 games exclusively at center for the Gators, the Chargers selected Slaughter with the No. 63 overall pick (second round) to compete immediately with Trevor Penning for the starting job at left guard.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz expressed confidence in his ability to switch, praising his high football IQ, lateral movement, and ability to work the angle when playing with a man over him, which they feel translates well to guard in offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s scheme.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: What scouts said about Chargers OL Jake Slaughter ahead of NFL draft
Reporting by Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
