Mel Kiper Jr. has former Florida OL on his watch list for the upcoming NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is 72 hours away and despite a disappointing record on the field this past season, the Florida Gators should have a pretty busy weekend in Pittsburgh. It's almost a given that defensive tackle Caleb Banks is going to be selected somewhere in the first round and about a half dozen of his teammates are also expected to hear their names called during the three-day event. 

One of those players, Jake Slaughter, is one that ESPN's draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., has listed as his favorite prospects by position. 

Kiper goes on to say the following about Slaughter:

"I like everything about Slaughter's game. He has a lot of experience — 33 starts and over 2,000 snaps at the pivot -- and comes battle-tested, having played in the SEC. And he has allowed only six pressures and three sacks over all that time."

Jake Slaughter is one of Mel Kiper Jr's favorite draft prospects

It makes sense that Kiper would like Slaughter. The former two-time All-American checks a lot of boxes that NFL front offices should love. Slaughter was with the Gators for his entire college career, which allowed him to develop at a consistent pace and perform at a high level against top competition despite the turmoil around the program during Billy Napier's tenure. As Kiper pointed out, Slaughter is a three-year starter and was a team captain for two years, showing natural leadership qualities needed to be the quarterback of the offensive line. 

Kiper went on to say that Slaughter could be picked in Round 4, and generally it would be likely to see him go between the 100th and 150th picks, which puts Slaughter somewhere late in the third round through the fourth round. There are a few teams that need centers — the Bears, Ravens, Texans and Commanders are among those teams listed as being likely to draft one this year. Two of those teams made the playoffs last season, while the Ravens have been a regular playoff team that has a sterling reputation as an organization. The Commanders were in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago and will want to invest in protection for Jayden Daniels. As a matter of fact, all four teams listed have high draft picks at quarterback. 

Slaughter promises to be a player that can jump right in and start. He has over 2,000 snaps in college and, at 23 years old, will come into an organization as a mature young player. The team that drafts Slaughter will not regret it. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow