4 best-value first-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
3. OL Rashawn Slater, Chargers
Typically, I wouldn’t consider an undersized offensive lineman falling to pick 13 remarkable value, but in this case, it certainly is. At 6’4 1/4” and 304 pounds with 33” arms, Rashawn Slater doesn’t exactly have ideal measurables for an offensive tackle in the NFL, but he has remarkable athleticism and some of the best feet I have ever seen from an offensive line prospect entering the NFL Draft – making him one of my ‘can’t miss’ selections this year.
It was no secret that the Chargers needed offensive line help, and they had to do everything they could to protect the new face of their franchise, quarterback Justin Herbert. Still, I don’t think many fans were expecting Slater to be available to them in the middle of the first round. The Northwestern product had a Relative Athletic Score of 9.71, and his elite athletic tools certainly show up on tape.
With some offensive line-needy teams in front of them deciding to go a different direction in the first round, the Chargers landed my 7th-best player in the entire draft. Whether Los Angeles elects to use him as an offensive tackle or guard, I’m confident that Slater will outperform his draft position. He could be a Pro Bowl starter as a tackle with All-Pro upside if moved inside. Either way, the Chargers are getting a 10-year starter who could prove to be one of the best in the league at what he does.