This underrated Florida Gators star has joined an AFC contender.
The Florida Gators do not have a ton of players expected to fly off the board in this year's NFL Draft. Outside of defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who went 18th overall to the Minnesota Vikings, the talent pool is fairly light.
However, another Florida player did just get selected in the second round of the draft on Friday night: center Jake Slaughter.
Slaughter was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 63rd overall pick, which came after the Chargers traded down from No. 55.
The 23-year-old was the second center off the board in this draft, with Iowa's Logan Jones getting the party started when he was nabbed by the Chicago Bears at No. 57.
Slaughter may have very well been one of the more underrated players in this class entering the draft, and clearly, Jim Harbaugh and Co. felt the same way.
Jake Slaughter. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.The 6-foot-5, 303-pound lineman possesses elite size for the center position and put together an impressive performance at the Scouting Combine back in February, earning himself the No. 1 ranking among centers in NFL.com's total score.
Slaughter was viewed by most as a late Day 2 pick, with the majority of mock drafts having him getting selected in the third round.
But the Sparr, Fl. native made a late rise just before the draft, and the Chargers — who were in serious need of interior line help — took advantage of it.
Florida has a few more players who could very well get selected in this draft. Tackle Austin Barber could potentially be a third-round pick, as could cornerback Devin Moore. There is then edge rusher Tyreak Sapp, who had a disappointing 2025 that caused his draft stock to plummet, but should hear his name called on Day 3.
Los Angeles has posted back-to-back 11-win campaigns, making the playoffs both times. However, the Chargers lost in the Wild Card Round both years and have not won a playoff game since January 2019.
Now, Slaughter will be tasked with helping protect star quarterback Justin Herbert, who has been one of the more heavily criticized NFL players in recent years.