Editor’s Note: This article is part of a larger series, Draft Diaries, which will chronicle Jackson Slater’s journey to the NFL Draft.
How do you imagine an NFL draft prospect celebrates raising his draft stock on one of the most prominent stages?
Maybe he goes out with friends, maybe he throws a party. But Sacramento State guard Jackson Slater found himself in a sports card shop in Phoenix, Arizona indulging in a childhood hobby.
“I’ve been in and out of collecting since I was 10 years old,” Slater said. “I went and bought some Prizm football … didn’t get anything good, but ripping stuff is fun.”
Slater isn’t afraid to be himself. Look no further than his Senior Bowl attire: an orange number 76 jersey, rolled up like it was at every Sac State practice.
“The inspiration probably comes from Quinn Meinerz, a D3 guy who did it a few years ago,” Slater said. “The weather in the summer during fall camp might have helped with it, too. It gets pretty hot, so having some belly out helps with that for sure.”
Players from smaller schools, like Slater, rarely get a chance in an event as prestigious as the Senior Bowl. Of the 137 players on the Senior Bowl’s roster this year, only five, including Slater, came from the FCS level.
“I always kind of envisioned it for myself,” Slater said. “Halfway into that day one of practice is when I felt confident where I was at … that was when I was like ‘Yeah, this makes sense.’”
Slater took full advantage of the opportunity, especially in the one-on-one lineman drills against a defensive line class loaded with talent. The highlight of his week was a dominant win against potential first-round pick Walker Nolen from Ole Miss.
This is one of many impressive reps for small-school standout center Jackson Slater (Sacramento State) vs. 1st round DT prospect Walter Nolen (Ole Miss). Slater is working his way up the board towards mid-round status with the way he’s performing here in Mobile. @ScoutsIncMuench… pic.twitter.com/xMSnvdlMgc
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) January 29, 2025
In addition to his practice on the field, Slater said he went through a “speed-dating” style of interview rounds with all 32 NFL teams over two days. When the period for second interviews came Slater said his home state team, the Seattle Seahawks, was the only organization that called him back.
“I wouldn’t really say there was one team I felt a super strong connection with. All the interviews were pretty ‘copy and paste’ for the most part,” Slater said. “Based on that, I’d say I’m the highest on the Seahawks’ board, but who really knows?”
Supporting Slater on day three was his long-tenured offensive line coach at Sac State, Kris Richardson.
Slater said Richardson was scheduled to be recruiting for the Hornets in Bakersfield until a phone call from new Sac State head coach Brennan Marion had him on a flight to Mobile, Alabama.
RELATED: Mixing the old with the new: Brennan Marion brings his personality to Sac State football
“I owe a ton for my career to the Richardson men,” Slater said. “His family really just took me in. Being an out-of-state kid – one of the few on the team – they would have the whole ‘o-line’ over for Thanksgiving or Easter.”
Looking toward the NFL, Slater said he spoke to agents and scouts and wants to make a position change before the draft in April. After playing all four years at Sac State at guard, he said he believes his future is at center.
“I’m more of a prototypical center body and have a lot of traits that are more common in above-average centers than above-average guards,” Slater said.
Since the end of December, Slater has been training at Exos in Phoenix to prepare for the Senior Bowl and the upcoming NFL Combine. There, Slater said he’s working on building consistency with his snaps and getting comfortable with his footwork.
Slater said he also plans on running position drills, but not testing, at Sac State’s Pro Day, provided the Combine goes well.
RELATED: Hornets showcase skills at Sac State pro day with NFL scouts in attendance
With the Combine just over two weeks away, Slater said he’s got much more trust in himself moving forward.
“The biggest nerves I had in this process was leading up to the Senior Bowl, just knowing the type of football I was going up against and how I’d stack up with the guys from bigger schools,” Slater said. “Now I think I proved myself there, I’ll have a lot of confidence through the rest of this process.”
