Former Northwestern Offensive Lineman Ranked No. 3 NFL OT by Pro Football Focus

Rashawn Slater has stood out for the Los Angeles Chargers since entering the NFL, and Pro Football Focus has taken notice.

The site named Slater, a Northwestern product, the No. 3 offensive tackle in its 2025 preseason rankings, released on Friday.

"Even though Slater was already excelling in his first three seasons in the league, he elevated his play to a new level in 2024," PFF analyst Zoltan Buday said in the article.

Slater has spent all four years of his NFL career with the Chargers. The offensive tackle logged impressive player grades in each of his first three seasons, but the 2024 campaign was Slater’s best yet.

Slater finished second among NFL offensive tackles in offensive grade last year, finishing the season at 90.9. His 89.9 pass-blocking grade was third in the NFL, and he logged a career high in run blocking grade (82.3).

The result of Slater’s excellence was an invitation to the Pro Bowl for the second time of his career. Slater was also a Pro Bowler in 2021, his rookie season, when he earned Second Team All-Pro honors.

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Los Angeles drafted Slater with the No. 13 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after three seasons at Northwestern.

A native of Sugar Land, TX, Slater played a major role for the Wildcats from the moment he arrived in Evanston.

The offensive tackle started all 12 games for Northwestern as a true freshman in 2017. PFF graded him the No. 1 freshman offensive lineman that year, and he was named to the Freshman All-Big Ten Team.

Slater started 25 games during the next two seasons. He helped NU quarterback Clayton Thoreson throw for more than 3,000 passing yards in 2018 before allowing zero sacks in 2019.

Slater sat out of the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The soon-to-be fifth-year lineman has held out of OTAs recently, as he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract. Mason Cameron of PFF previously ranked Slater first among offensive tackles who are slated to become free agents in 2026.

Los Angeles finished 11-6 in 2024, placing second in the AFC West. The Chargers lost 32-12 to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.