NFL Draft Profile: Sacramento State offensive guard Jackson Slater

Jackson Slater could be someone to target on day three of the 2025 NFL Draft

The best offensive linemen have a little attitude to them. There’s a certain way the great ones carry themselves on the field. Just look at Quinn Meinerz, Quenton Nelson, or Zack Martin to name a recent few. You know the kind of brand they bring. They’re physical and nasty and love to bully opposing defenders. I think that Sacramento State’s Jackson Slater can be just that for the Broncos.

Slater took over the starting spot at left guard in his first year at Sac State and would never give up his grip over it. In his Sophomore and Junior seasons he would become just the second ever Hornet offensive lineman (shout out to my college coach Jon Osterhout as the other one) to earn First Team All-Big Sky honors in consecutive years, much in thanks to being a core piece of an offense that rushed for over 3,000 yards in 2022. He’d earn the reputation of being a smash mouth offensive guard.

Even with a knee injury in Week 9 of the 2024 season suffered against Portland State, Slater would still be named to AP’s FCS First Team All-American squad, as well as First Team All-Big Sky. Before the injury he started nine games and did not give up a single sack or QB hit. He’d go one to finish his time at Sac State with 44 career starts.

Player Profile

Jackson Slater | Offensive Line| Sacramento State

• Height: 6’3”
• Weight: 311 pounds
• Hands: 10 inches
• Arm Length: 32 inches
• 40-Yard Dash: 5.01 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 28.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 9’

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Physical at the point of attack with good pad level and leverage
• Has played snaps at center
• He loves looking for work in the pass game
• Solid base and contact when picking up blitzers
• Fits best in a zone scheme offense
• Aims to destroy any linebacker that gets in his way while run blocking

Weaknesses

• Reach blocks need work, limited arm length hurts him here
• Can get too heavy on his kick foot in pass protection, allowing for an inside move
• Significant knee injury in 2024

What other analysts are saying about Sacramento State offensive lineman Jackson Slater

NFL Draft Buzz

Mark my words – some zone-heavy team is going to steal this kid in the mid rounds and look like geniuses by midseason. The combination of pass protection polish, positional versatility, and untapped athletic upside is exactly what smart offensive line coaches dream about. Give him a year to fully recover and master an NFL system, and you’re looking at a 10-year starter who can play any interior spot at a winning level.

The Draft Network

In vertical running schemes like inside zone or duo, Slater poses as a cut-and-dry fit. His ability to move bodies at the first level, as well as his awareness at the second level, paints a good picture of what he’ll look like at the next level. In gap schemes, Slater showed proficient contact courage as a pulling blocker. No matter what kind of play he’s asked to run, Slater lacks nothing. This foundation as a run-blocker—this identity—is one of the driving factors in why I see Slater as a day-one starter.

Underdog Dynasty

Slater entered this offseason as a projected late round pick but strong performances at both the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine have caused his draft stock to rise greatly. He will bring a lot highly-sought after qualities with him to the pros including great versatility, size, strength and know-how as a blocker. He is good enough to get selected on Day 2 if the right fit is there and should see an NFL field as a starter sooner rather than later.

Final Thoughts

I desperately want the Broncos to get their hands on Slater. Even if that means making a move up into the fifth round. Slater can very well be a day one starter, and if he’s given some time to work under Zach Strief then he could easily be the one to replace Ben Powers when his contract is up, or he can even take over the starting center spot.