Florida Gators DT T.J. Slaton Signs With Agent, Off to NFL Draft
Florida Gators defensive tackle Tedarrell 'T.J.' Slaton has signed with a player representative agency in hopes of an NFL career and will not return to Florida for a fifth season.
Slaton, 6-5, 340 pounds, took over a starting role on Florida's defensive line this past season and was disruptive, piling up 38 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss in 11 games. According to Pro Football Focus, Slaton also accumulated 19 quarterback pressures.
A mammoth of a defensive lineman who moves with suddenness for his size, Slaton projects as a role player at the next level who could make a big impact on a snap count. As Florida's depth improved throughout the season on the defensive line, Slaton's average number of snaps per game decreased which allowed him to make impact plays more consistently.
Teams in need of a rotational lineman and pure size in the trenches could look to Slaton, despite less than ideal college production. Playing both nose and three-technique tackle at Florida, Slaton could fill numerous roles on a defensive line at the next level.
The Draft Network considers Slaton to be the No. 144 overall prospect and No. 12 interior defensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Slaton joins fellow defensive lineman Kyree Campbell in pursuing an NFL career instead of returning to UF in 2021, among several other Gators players.
