Grey Zabel isn’t the only interior offensive lineman from an FCS school raising eyebrows. Sacramento State’s Jackson Slater was terrific at the Senior Bowl.
Writing the pre-NFL Draft scouting reports is one of my favorite things to do this time of the year. I’ve nailed it down with these notable Seattle Seahawks draft picks over the past few seasons: Byron Murphy II, Christian Haynes, Tyrice Knight, Devon Witherspoon, Zach Charbonnet, Olu Oluwatimi, Kenny McIntosh, Boye Mafe, Abe Lucas, and Riq Woolen.
As part of our 2025 NFL Draft preview, we’ll be taking a closer look at a wide range of prospects, including projected Round 1 picks all the way to Day 3/UDFA options. Today we’re analyzing Sacramento State offensive lineman Jackson Slater, who met with the Seahawks twice at the Senior Bowl and attended Seattle’s Local Pro Day on Thursday.
Let’s get to the report!
Prospect Info
Name: Jackson Slater
Jersey #: 76
College: Sacramento State
Position: G/C
Awards: 2022 -Third-team Associated Press All-American;
2022 – First-team All-Big Sky Conference;
2023 – First-team All-Big Sky;
2024 – First-team Associated Press FCS All-American;
Class: Senior
Style: Agile
Comparison: Matt Paradis
Projection: 4th-5th round
Combine/Pro Day Results
HT 6’3
WT 318 lbs
Arms: 32”
Wingspan N/A
Hands 10”
40 yds 5.01s
10 yd split 1.78s
Short Shuttle: 4.7s
3 Cone Drill: 7.75s
VJ 32.5”
BJ 9’
Bench Press 31 reps
RAS: 9.61
Background
Slater has 44 games as a starter—the four he missed were due to a knee injury in 2024, but he showed his readiness at the Combine and Senior Bowl—and has over 3,000 snaps of experience. He has played as an OT at times and is projected to be a center in the NFL. His father, John Slater, played at Western Washington. Slater was eligible to be a local visit, since he is from Washington. His brother, John Slater, is also an OL and plays for Sacramento State.
Although it is not a rule, it is no longer that uncommon for an FCS player to achieve prominence in the NFL. He was the first offensive lineman in the history of the program to be named All-Big Sky First-Team All-American 3 times. Slater is a versatile and athletic player. He has a history of playing basketball, baseball, and track in high school.
Evaluating the prospect…
Athletic Ability
Very fast and moves easily. Something that needs to improve is adjusting the route when reaching the second level.
Good leverage and leg strength to be able to open up space for the run.
Good impact and punch.
Fit with scheme
Lateral mobility and initial explosion fit perfectly in the wide/outside zone scheme.
Executing the reach block, fundamental for these schemes mentioned above and then sealing the gap.
Good movement again, effortlessly reaches the targets of pulls and kickout blocks.
Pass Protection
His athletic ability allows him to move well and reach defenders from further away without having to be too aggressive. Good footwork.
He makes poor contact, lowering his head and not positioning his hands well. However, thanks to his mobility he is able to stay in front of the defender.
High level competition against Walter Nolen and playing center. He uses the first hand to maintain leverage and the second to punch, in his preferred independent hands technique.
He is always alert looking in all directions looking for where he can help. He is rarely caught off guard in stunt/blitz situations.
STRENGTHS:
– Athletic ability;
– Strong hands;
– Awareness for blitz/twists/stunts;
– Mobility in pulls;
– First 2025 prospect to accept an interview with Field Gulls;
WEAKNESSES:
– Hand positioning;
– Inconsistent angles for the second level;
Final Thoughts
After the draft of Christian Haynes last year and his year as a reserve, fans may be a little wary of drafting someone coming from a lesser competition. However, Slater was one of the standout performers at the Senior Bowl and had good numbers at Pro Day. At the Combine, he ended up getting hurt in the 40-yard dash. In addition to his versatility to play in all three positions, he is projected to play center, a big need for the Seahawks.
He has a similar profile (better in some ways) to Erik McCoy, who is the Saints’ center. This is clearly something important for the Seahawks, who kept Jalen Sundell on the roster last year.
2025 NFL Draft Reports:
Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech
Shavon Revel Jr, CB, East Carolina
Esa Pole, OL, Washington State