tedarrell slaton – Syndication Server

These Florida football players made CBS Sports’ list of instant impact transfers

Coach Dan Mullen proved why he is the NCAA transfer portal king again this offseason. CBS Sports thinks these three can help UF to the CFP.

One of Florida head coach Dan Mullen’s greatest strengths besides being a quarterback whisperer is that he’s an NCAA transfer portal wizard.

He has landed several gems from the portal like wide receivers Van Jefferson, Trevon Grimes and Justin Shorter. He’s also beefed up his backfield and pass rush with the likes of Brenton Cox Jr., Jonathan Greenard and Lorenzo Lingard.

CBS Sports’ college football team took turns tabbing new transfers that could help their new program make the College Football Playoff.

David Cobb listed the Gators new defensive linemen Antonio Shelton and Daquan Newkirk immediately. Here’s a glimpse of what he wrote.

Defensive tackles rarely generate headlines, and the focus entering this season is rightly on Florida’s secondary and new starting quarterback Emory Jones. But the Gators would have been in a tight spot at defensive tackle if they hadn’t snagged two proven veterans from the portal. Shelton and Newkirk will help Florida’s defense improve, and that could bring the CFP into play for this team.

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Former defensive tackles Kyree Campbell and Tedarrell Slaton left Florida in dire straights when they declared for the NFL draft. Not many defensive tackles saw meaningful snaps beside Campbell, Slaton and freshman Gervon Dexter. Cobb believes these new additions could potentially be upgrades to Campbell and Slaton.

Shelton racked up 3.5 sacks in seven games last season for Penn State, and Newkirk collected 28 tackles and three for a loss for Auburn. Both players should make an immediate impact for the Gators this season.

NEXT: The impact player on offense

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Packers rookie DL T.J. Slaton is a rare athlete for his size

The Packers’ fifth-round pick brings size and athleticism to the table for the defensive front.

The Green Bay Packers started rookie minicamp on Friday, and one player is already sticking out. Standing at 6-4 and weighing almost 330 pounds, defensive lineman Tedarrell “T.J.” Slaton is a guy you can’t help but notice out on the practice field. Upon his selection on day three of the 2021 NFL Draft, he immediately became the heaviest player on the roster.

The Packers used a fifth-round pick Slaton, who played four seasons at Florida. In college, Slaton’s weight reached upwards of 370 pounds, but he made it a point of emphasis to cut that down to 330 as a senior. Slaton said he noticed a clear difference in his play after slimming down a bit.

“Just being quicker,” he said. “I’ve always been a pretty athletic guy, (who) can jump and can run. Losing weight was just to get my quickness and hand speed down. It definitely worked for me.”

Slaton said he changed his diet to reach his goal weight, and that is something Green Bay will continue to monitor. According to Slaton, the team will keep an eye on his food intake and help plan his meals.

Even though Slaton is a big guy, like he said, he is very athletic. Just flip on his tape, and you will see a guy 330 pounds moving a lot faster and a lot more agile than expected. Slaton was a starting center for his high school basketball team and bragged about still being able to dunk a basketball.

“I was doing all of those things even at a heavier weight than I am now,” said Slaton. “Being 326, it’s definitely easier to get up over the rim.”

The Packers aren’t going to ask Slaton to dunk a basketball anytime soon, however, his athletic profile certainly falls in line with the type of guys they like to bring in. On the field, Slaton is a mobile player who can combine his strength and explosiveness into becoming a disruptive player on defense.

At Florida, he was mostly known for being a run stopper, and that is an area Green Bay is looking to continue to improve upon. The Packers have been trying to find a true running-stopping defensive tackle, and they’re hoping Slaton could be the answer. However, it’s not fair to label him as one-dimensional.

Slaton might be big, but he can be more than just a space-eater. He’s got good up-field burst to reset the line of scrimmage, and his hand usage is something that helps him get off blocks. Perhaps, rushing the passer is also an area where he can also provide some assistance.

Slaton said he has already been watching Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, and he is starting to get a sense of what his role will be on defense.

Ultimately, when Slaton is on the field in 2021, it will be interesting to see how a big-bodied but sneakily athletic nose tackle fits into Green Bay’s defensive front.

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A look at the winners and losers among former Gators in the 2021 NFL draft

For some former Florida football players, the draft couldn’t have gone better. But for others, it was a very disappointing affair.

The 2021 NFL draft is fully in the books, and the months of reading mock drafts and attempting to predict the whims of fickle talent evaluators and executives have finally reached their close.

When the dust settled, Florida had eight players selected in the draft (its most since 2016). For some former UF athletes, the draft couldn’t have gone better. But for others, it was a major disappointment.

Let’s make something very clear right here: There is no one who woke up this morning on an NFL roster that is a “loser.” Whether you were an undrafted signing, a late-round pick or the first-overall pick, you’ve joined one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet.

But there’s more to the draft than just good feelings and the culmination of years of hard work. There’s a good amount of strategy and game theory involved, as well, and sometimes betting on yourself doesn’t pay off.

With that in mind, here are the winners and losers from the draft for Florida.

What draft analysts said about new Packers DL Tedarrell Slaton

Highlighting how draft analysts view new Packers DL Tedarrell Slaton during the pre-draft process.

The Green Bay Packers took a massive, run-stuffing defensive lineman in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft, using the 173rd overall pick on Florida nose tackle Tedarrell Slaton.

The 330-pounder tallied 10.5 tackles for losses during his collegiate career.

What to learn more about Slaton, a one-year starter at Florida who could be a two-gapping player in Green Bay? Here’s what the top draft analysts said about him during the pre-draft process:

Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide): “A one-year starter at Florida, Slaton played nose tackle in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s even and odd fronts. He was the highest-ranked recruit in the Gators’ 2017 class (ahead of C.J. Henderson and Kadarius Toney), although his college career was a slow ascent as he adapted to the defensive line after playing primarily on offense in high school. Slaton carries his weight like a smaller player while flashing the raw strength to stay underneath blocks and find the football. His senior tape showed a more mature player, but his shed timing, gap leverage and overall consistency require further development. Overall, Slaton is a massive athlete with the raw power, promising technique and two-gap potential to be an intriguing project for an NFL defensive line coach.”

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Massive man with evenly distributed body weight that will have him pegged as a nose in either even or odd fronts. While the traits say run-plugger, the tape does not. He doesn’t control the point of attack with power and frequently gave ground to double teams and angle blocks. He has the power to handle single blocks and might be able to strengthen the anchor if his bend and leverage can be improved. He’s a try-hard rusher whose athleticism creates more pressure than expected. He has late-round value and might become a developmental prospect on a practice squad.”

Jordan Reid, The Draft Network: Tedarrell Slaton is an impressively built interior defensive line prospect. He’s listed at nearly 360 pounds, but looks much slimmer than his listed weight—he looks around 330 pounds and carries his weight well with an evenly distributed body structure. Leverage is the name of his game and he often starts low in his stance. He’s able to remain at that level throughout the duration of reps. An extremely powerful player at the point of attack, he makes it difficult for double teams to move him off of his spots. He’s a true head-up 0-technique that thrives with maintaining both A-gaps. Slaton wins strictly off of bull rush attempts and it’s a method that’s been highly effective for him to this point in his career. He also incorporates a quick swim move when able to jump the snap. He’s been treated primarily as a two-down defender and he won’t provide much value on third down or obvious passing situations. As a run defender, there are stretches of inconsistencies of where he can make plays while engaged on single blocks, but he fails to make an impact and thus falls victim to runs being exploited through his gap. He has the arm strength to reach out and stop rushers in their tracks, but he often doesn’t reach out and make an effort to make those types of plays often. There are periods where Slaton has struggled with maintaining his balance when knocked out of plays and he has some reps of where he will randomly fall to the ground.”

Bleacher Report Scouting Department: “As a prep, Tedarrell Slaton was a highly recruited offensive line prospect but chose to play on the defensive side of the ball, which he hardly played in high school. He did not start for Florida defensively until his final season, after he had already been suspended and had weight fluctuation issues for the Gators. He has upside as a nose tackle prospect, based on how he moves at his size, but short arms and small hands do not help his projection. Slaton should be put in a position to have to compete for a roster spot at the NFL level and may be the type of defensive lineman who has to convert back to the offensive side of the ball.”

Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network: “Large, wide-bodied gap occupier who flashes power. Fires off the snap, uses his hands well, and keeps his feet moving. Strong in his lower body, and bullrushes blockers off the line of scrimmage to penetrate the backfield. Plays with proper lean. Slaton displayed the ability to clog the middle of the field and push the pocket at the college level, but he must round into a complete defensive lineman if he’s to play on Sundays. He’s dropped almost 30 pounds since the end of his senior season and is headed in the right direction. Slaton’s size and power will get consideration from two-gap defenses, and at the very least, he’s worth stashing on a practice squad next fall.”

Steve Muench, Scouts Inc.: “Slaton is a powerful interior run stopper with rare size. He can control the middle of the line of scrimmage when he plays with good pad level. He flashes the ability to push the pocket as a pass-rusher.”

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1-tech defensive tackle prospects for Cowboys to consider throughout draft

Tim Lettiero reviews seven 1-tech defensive tackles who can contribute as a run defender in each round in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

Over the years, few notable names have been brought in to boost the run defense. With Dan Quinn creating a shift in the culture bringing in the likes of Brent Urban, there is hope for the future. With a horrid 2020 campaign in the run stuffing department, the Dallas Cowboys simply must address the position they so frequently are known for ignoring.

Antwaun Woods has shown the ability to be an energetic body off the bench but he is coming off a down year, often given no help by lackluster performances from fellow teammates who have now moved onwards like Dontari Poe. Woods is in desperate need of a rotational partner at minimum and this draft is the perfect opportunity to do so with many viable options throughout the rounds. Here are some names to keep in mind when the Dallas Cowboys are up in each round of the 2021 NFL draft:

Here’s where every former Gator lands in CBS Sports’ updated seven-round mock draft

Nine former Florida players are projected to be selected in this CBS Sports seven-round mock draft. Here’s where they each end up.

The 2020 season may have been the worst of the Dan Mullen era on paper, as the Gators went 8-4 in the shortened season. But that’s a bit deceiving; the team played an entirely SEC schedule, and Florida won the SEC East for the first time since 2016.

It was six points away from a potential College Football Playoff berth in the SEC Championship against Alabama, and the team that came closest to knocking off the national champion Crimson Tide is projected to put a good number of players into the NFL at the draft later this month.

At the top of the draft, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Kadarius Toney are projected as first-round picks and expected to end UF’s 10-year drought of offensive skill position players taken in the first round. But beyond that, projections are much more fluid.

This mock draft from CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards is favorable toward a number of Florida players considered fringe draft prospects. Here’s where each of them end up in this projection.

Here’s where each former Gator lands in CBS Sports’ seven-round mock

Florida hasn’t had an offensive skill position player drafted in the first round since Tebow in 2010 but that’s likely to change this year.

After only having five players drafted in 2019 (and no first-round picks for the first time since 2012), the Gators had seven players selected in last year’s draft, including cornerback C.J. Henderson, who went in the top 10.

UF’s 8-4 record in 2020 can be a bit deceiving, as it took a major leap forward on offense despite closing the season on a three-game losing streak. Florida was very productive this season, as quarterback Kyle Trask had a record-setting season, in large part thanks to the play of his supporting cast like tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Kadarius Toney.

Some of the stars from that team are projected to go early in this month’s NFL draft. Florida hasn’t had an offensive skill position player drafted in the first round since Tim Tebow in 2010, but that seems bound to change this year. Here’s where each Florida prospect lands in the CBS Sports seven-round mock draft, which has the team matching its seven players drafted from last year.

Kyle Pitts, 2 other Gators featured on Draft Wire three-round mock

Here are the predicted landing spots for the three Florida football players expected to go in the first 96 picks of the 2021 NFL Draft.

In a three-round mock draft released by Draft Wire, the Gators had three players represented in the field. After having four players taken in the first three rounds in 2020, Draft Wire still sees a solid number of Gators going early in 2021.

Here are the predicted landing spots for the three players expected to go in the first 96 picks.

NEXT: No. 46 (Second Round) – Tight End Kyle Pitts, Tennessee Titans

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