Florida DT Tedarrell Slaton drafted by Packers. He makes history for American Heritage
At 6-4 and 330 pounds, Tedarrell “TJ” Slaton is a menacing presence in the middle of a defensive line.
He now has a chance to show that he can play at the NFL level.
Green Bay Packers selected the Florida Gators defensive tackle and former Plantation American Heritage standout with the 29th pick in the fifth round — No. 173 overall — on Saturday of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Slaton makes history for American Heritage: He’s the fifth former Patriot drafted, which breaks a South Florida record for players drafted from a single school in one year. Entering 2021, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Miami Northwestern and Bradenton IMG Academy shared the all-time record with four players drafted. IMG Academy broke the record Friday and American Heritage joined the Ascenders on Saturday.
Slaton, primarily an offensive lineman in high school, played in 45 games during his four-year career at UF and became a full-time starter as a senior. He finished his collegiate career with 98 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He started every game for UF as a senior, recording 37 tackles and five quarterback hurries as he helped the Gators reach the SEC Championship Game and their third consecutive New Year Six bowl game appearance.
Prior to UF, Slaton was a 2017 US Army All-American and helped Plantation American Heritage win Class 5A state titles in 2014 and 2016.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described Slaton as a “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,” Zierlein continued in his scouting report. “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.”
.JPG)