Jacob Slade NFL Draft Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle/Interior Defensive Lineman
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 315 pounds
School: Michigan State
2023 NFL Draft: Jacob Slade Scouting Report
Jacob Slade began his college football career in 2018 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. In that season, (which he would later redshirt), he played 11 snaps at defensive tackle and assisted with a tackle. In 2019, Slade appeared in all 13 of the Spartans games, recording 13 tackles (three, solo, 10 assisted), including a sack, and also defending against a pass.
During the Covid-19 shortened season of 2020, Slade started all seven of the Spartans games, amassing 13 tackles (five solo, eight assisted) while also defending against a pass. During the Spartans 2021 season, Slade started 12 of their 13 games at defensive tackle. He had a career-high 40 tackles (16 solo, 24 assisted), including a career-high 2.5 sacks, while also recovering a fumble and defending against two passes.
In his final season for the green and white, Slade missed four games due to injury but did start seven of the eight games he played for the Spartans. He had 20 total tackles (seven solo, 13 assisted), including half a sack.
Strengths
- Is NFL-ready, in terms of his aggressive and relentlessness;
- Has exceptional overall strength;
- Hand-fighting skills are NFL caliber;
- Expert at playing the 3-4 defensive scheme;
- Has the ability to successfully defeat double teams.
Weaknesses
- Biomechanics are shoddy and limit his overall potential;
- Needs to get off of his blocks more quickly and efficiently;
- Tackling form, especially against the run needs to be better; misses a lot of easy tackles.
- Has difficulty utilizing multiple gaps to make tackles.
- Injury caused him to miss four games in 2022, for Michigan State.
NFL Comparison: Folorunso Fatukasi
Teams With Need At Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints
Projection: Rounds 6-7
Bottom Line on Jacob Slade
Jacob Slade may have been taken in a higher round had it not been for an injury that caused him to miss four games last season for the Spartans. The uncertainty of whether or not the injury will affect his long-term playing ability is yet to be answered, which is why he will likely be a sixth or seventh-round pick.
Slade also has some minor work, but work nonetheless, if he is going to have a significantly long NFL career. He does not utilize his biomechanics correctly which limits his potential to be the player he has the capacity to be. He will also need to improve the quickness with which he gets off of his blocks at the next level. He will also need to work on his tackling form and the ability to use more than one gap when attempting to make a tackle.
What Slade does possess that will entice a team to pick him in the later rounds, is he plays a relentless and aggressive style of football, that is comparable to players who are already in the NFL. He has exceptional overall body strength and NFL-ready hand-fighting skills. Slade is consistent at defeating double teams and would be an ideal candidate for a team that likes to play the 3-4 defensive scheme. A team that uses a pick on Slade may be rewarded with a steal of a pick, especially if he can return to the form he showed during the 2021 season, while in East Lansing.
Main Photo: Nick King – USA Today Sports
