Jake Slaughter NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Los Angeles Chargers IOL

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Florida IOL Jake Slaughter with the No. 63 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Jake Slaughter is an efficient, battle-tested blocker who operates with solid movement skills, play strength, and urgency to cover up, re-leverage, and seal off defenders. Slaughter won't overwhelm NFL defenders, but he has enough traits to compete for a pivot job during his rookie contract and become a functional starter.

Slaughter is a 6'5", 303-pound center prospect who entered the Florida program as a 3-star recruit in the 2021 class.

Slaughter started 33 career games at center for the Gators as a two-time team captain. He earned AP All-SEC First Team honors in 2024 and 2025, both years as a team captain. Slaughter turned 23 years old in December.

Brandon Thorn: Brandon is the author of the Trench Warfare newsletter, which focuses exclusively on offensive and defensive line evaluation. He also contributes as an analyst to Establish the Run, serves as the scouting coordinator for OL Masterminds and is a selection committee member for the Joe Moore Award. 

Highlights

Jake Slaughter highlights

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Where He Wins

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— Solid play strength to clench, close space and wall off down linemen on base, back and double-team overtake blocks.

— Sound anchor technique to get his hips back, hands on and reset to grind down power and die slowly.

— Alert and spatially aware in pass protection keeps him square and on the same level with his guards to keep the 'A' gaps shored up.

— Fluid enough on the move to intersect targets on climbs and screens.

— Two-time team captain.

Areas of Improvement

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— Adequate mass, length and power make it a chore to own and command ground when isolated against long, hulking defensive tackles.

— Vulnerable to getting push-pulled into overextension.

— Mediocre redirect skills creates soft, accessible edges if forced to adjust mid-rep.

Grade, Rank and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup/Starter Upside — 3rd Round)

COMPARABLE GRADE: Drew Kendall (6.5 in 2025), Hunter Nourzad (6.9 in 2024), Luke Fortner (7.2 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 111

POSITION RANK: IOL9

PRO COMPARISON: Chase Roullier

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 6'5"
Weight: 303
Arm: 32 ⅜"
Hand: 10"

40-Yard Dash: 5.1
10-Yard Split: 1.74
Vertical: 32 ½"
Broad: 9'2"
Shuttle: NA
3-Cone: NA
Bench: NA