This series was created a number of years ago in response to questions about why certain well-known prospects went unselected in NFL drafts. For these articles, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out why their organizations passed on drafting a given player, and/or, what were the reasons for other teams to pass on that prospect. The positive response to “Why Undrafted” and questions from readers about why prospects were drafted lower than the media expectations led us to create the parallel series “Why the Slide?”
Both series are back this year. Feel free to email me requests for Why the Slide? and Why Undrafted? at [email protected]. I can’t promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely will respond to the email.
There were times during the leadup to the 2021 NFL Draft when Northwestern offensive lineman Rashawn Slater was projected as a top-five pick, with some media members suggesting he could go ahead of Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell. Slater sat out the 2020 season after a few good years for the Wildcats. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder is very undersized for a NFL left tackle, but that did not prevent the lofty projections. Some were still surprised when he slipped to the 13th-overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
According to team sources, Slater did not grade out as high as those media analysts had projected him. Many teams had Slater graded further down. It varied by franchise, of course, how high he was graded and what position he was projected to play in the NFL. One team source whose team had a top-10 pick and was in serious need of an offensive tackle said their organization had Slater graded in the second round and viewed him as a guard or center as a pro. That feeling was widespread enough in the league for offensive line-needy teams like the Bengals, Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Broncos, Cowboys, Eagles and Giants to pass on Slater.
The Los Angeles Charges ended Slater’s fall, and he could be an instant starter for them at left tackle, protecting the blind side of franchise quarterback Justin Herbert. Currently in the NFL, there are only two left tackles who are similarly sized to Slater, New England’s Isaiah Wynn and veteran journeyman Kelvin Beachum. Wynn has been injured a lot, perhaps in part from being undersized, while Beachum has played a lot of guard and right tackle as a pro. Hence, there were many evaluators who were skeptical Slater could remain at left tackle in the long term. It should become apparent this fall during whether Slater can stay at left tackle or should move inside to guard for the NFL.
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