With the 13th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected offensive tackle Rashawn Slater from Northwestern. Slater was considered by many to be the second best tackle and offensive lineman in the draft. Many mock drafts were predicting that Slater would be a top 10 pick. So when the Chargers, who had the worst offensive line in 2020, saw him available at 13, the pick was a no-brainer. But what made him such a sought-after prospect? What were his strengths, and what were the weaknesses that made him be viewed as second-best in the class? Will he be able to adjust to the intensity of NFL football? Here is the Rashawn Slater rookie profile.
Strengths
- Impressive footwork. Rashawn Slater has fantastic footwork. He uses his fluidity and choppy feet to easily adjust to pass rushes, while he uses planted feet and his lower body strength to avoid giving up ground in the run game.
- Good core strength and large hands. Slater possesses good core strength, which would allow him to maintain his balance when met with an opposing edge rusher. This also helps in the run game, where he can prevent a degensive lineman from pushing him back and closing the rushing gaps. He would use his large, bear-claw hands to grab hold of edge rushers who attempted to slip by him.
- Extensive experience against NFL-caliber edge rushers. This is where Slater has the edge against his competition in this year’s draft class. Penei Sewell, Teven Jenkins, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Alex Leatherwood are all talented tackles, but none possess Slater’s resume. Being a tackle in the Big 10 Conference, Slater has dueled with numerous elite pass rushers during his college years. He has faced off against the likes of Chase Young (Ohio State/Washington Football Team), Kwity Paye (Michigan/Indianapolis Colts), and Micah Parsons (Penn State/Dallas Cowboys). All three of these players were menaces in college football, yet Slater was able to shut them down.
Weaknesses
- Lack of length. Rashawn Slater has a wingspan of 80 and 6/8ths inches, which is on the shorter side for offensive tackles. Wingspan is an important metric for tackles, who need to engage edge rushers at the jump on pass protection. Any delay in engagement can shift who holds leverage in the duel. However, Slater would often combat this with his footwork, allowing him to adjust to rushers if he gets beat on the jump.
- Lacks overwhelming core strength. Yes, it was said earlier that he has good core strength, but it only goes so far. He has enough core strength to hold the line against pass rushers and run stoppers, but he lacks the strength necessary to overpower them and drive them back. Due to this, Slater blocks to maintain position on runs, rather than driving opponents away from the gap.
- High hand placement. Offensive linemen are taught early on to place their hand just underneath the enemy’s shoulder pads. This is in order to maintain a proper grip and exert more force on defensive linemen. Slater is inconsistent in this regard, causing him to sometimes lose that force, which could give defensive linemen more leeway to plug up rushing holes.
Summary
General Manager Tom Telesco drafted Slater with the hope that he will be the cornerstone of the Chargers’ offensive line for years to come. Whether he succeeds in the NFL will be determined by whether he can adjust to the speed of the NFL. Thankfully, he shouldn’t have much difficulty doing that, thanks to his experience guarding against Young, Paye, and Parsons. Slater is also an intelligent man, so he can recognize his weaknesses and will be more likely to listen to coaches about how to correct them. All in all, Chargers fans should be excited to see how his career plays out. This was the Rashawn Slater rookie profile.