03-15-2021, 11:18 AM
(03-15-2021, 09:57 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: But that's the beauty of a prospect like Slater. He can play all 5 positions. Now, obviously, talking about who you're going to draft is kind of irrelevant until you get through the major portion of free agency, but let's say we don't sign a good left guard (which was the position that caused Joe's injury). You can draft Slater and put him at LG and then, in a year or two, you can move him out to RT when you sign a proper guard in free agency.
Or you can keep him at guard. I know guards are generally undervalued in the draft but, while I think Slater is a great prospect at tackle, I think he's an elite prospect at guard, since his size is no longer a disadvantage at all. He has all the athleticism and technique to be a pro bowl guard very early in his career, and then he has the potential to be a great tackle if he "overcomes his size issues."
If we sign a guard in free agency, but not a tackle, then obviously Slater can slot in there as well. Or if your free agent guard gets injured, he can move over from RT and you can put Fred Johnson in at RT. Wherever you have a weakness, Slater can fill that weakness. His versatility is just another asset he brings to the team.
Slater is an especially attractive option given the guard market is quickly drying up with Zeitler and Norwell no longer available.
To my knowledge, he has never played C, at least not in college. He's been a RT and a LT.
One of the sites I look at, drafttek.com, has position rankings and overall rankings for guys that project to multiple positions. Slater ranks #12 overall as a T and #28 overall as a G. Big reach either way.
The elephant in the room with Slater is he's a guy with good technique and a maxed out frame. He has very little room to get better, which is why it's hard to see him ever becoming an elite starter in the NFL.
