Tedarrell Slaton NFL Draft Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’-5”
Weight: 340 pounds
School: Florida
Tedarrell Slaton 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Overview
There’s usually a space in the NFL for a big-bodied defensive lineman who can eat up blocks. At 6’-5” and 340 pounds, Tedarrell Slaton certainly fits the bill on paper. At that size, He’s likely to be pegged as a 3-4 nose tackle. However, he offered more than just a big body at Florida. Slaton moves surprisingly well for a man of his size and he showcased a lot of effort to go along with consistent power in college.
Slaton is a Florida native out of Fort Lauderdale. He received a scholarship offer from Alabama two years before his commitment date in 2017. After his senior year at American Heritage High School, Slaton was selected to play in the U.S Army All-America game. Slaton was listed as a five-star offensive guard by several media outlets. In fact, Slaton committed to play guard for Florida over offers from the likes of LSU, Clemson, and Miami. However, he played defensive tackle as a freshman at Florida and didn’t look back.
The defensive tackle contributed as a true freshman as he made 11 total tackles in seven games for the Gators. His snap count increased a little in 2018, a year in which he made the one interception of his college career. Slaton finally earned his first sacks during the 2019 season as he made two along with 29 total tackles. In his senior year, Slaton took on a full-time starting role for Florida and he made a career-high 38 total tackles but the sack count dropped to 1.5.
Strengths
- BIG BIG Man – Plays to his size, hard to move in the run game when he’s fresh;
- Moves surprisingly well for his size – got home a few times on designed stunts;
- Impressive first step quickness translates into power – can move a center into the backfield;
- Plays snap to whistle – A worker;
- Sheds his blocks efficiently to make his tackles in the run game – fills his gap assignment.
Weaknesses
- Issues with inconsistent motor & conditioning – Tires himself out;
- His weight needs to be monitored;
- Consistent hand placement needs work – Has the power, plays with his hands too wide;
- Late to react and get out on runs to the outside – struggles against angle blocks;
- Needs to prove he can stay on the field.
NFL Comparison: Brandon Williams
Williams (6’-1”) is shorter than Slaton, but both perform at their best when they get low and play with leverage. Williams’ ability to shed blocks quickly on either side of the center has made him a consistent run stuffer for the Baltimore Ravens. With only 6.5 career sacks since entering the league in 2013, that’s not Williams role in the defense and it won’t be Slaton’s at the next level either.
Teams With Need at Position: Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, Detroit Lions
Projection: Sixth Round
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Bottom Line on Tedarrell Slaton:
Slaton needs to prove he can stay on the field from a conditioning point of view if he is to contribute regularly as a rookie in 2021. However, there are very few defensive tackles with his natural size in the draft, which makes him an intriguing option. Teams looking to stack up on run support and desperately searching for bodies along the defensive line could do a lot worse than taking a look at Slaton in the later rounds.
He does move well for his size and with an off-season of coaching up on how to use his hands efficiently, there’s upside in Slaton. However, in his final year as a full-time starter with the Gators the tank emptied fast on game day. His efficiency and energy levels dropped as games went into the second half. Slaton was much more effective as a rotational piece which lowers his draft stock to the later rounds. Teams need to be able to count on early-round defensive tackles staying in the game as often as possible.
That said, there’s no question of effort when studying Slaton’s tape at Florida. He creates pressure through effort, a quick get-off for a man of his size and his raw strength. Slaton offers late-round value as a prospect with prototypical nose tackle size who could potentially offer a little more as a developmental project.
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