Editor’s Note: This article is part of a larger series, Draft Diaries, which will chronicle Jackson Slater’s journey to the NFL Draft.
As Jackson Slater raced to the 30-yard line of Aggie Stadium to complete his 3-cone drill, a scout from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t help but crack a joke.
“There you go, Jackson. Now you’ll never have to run another 3-cone in your life,” the Buccaneers scout said.
Slater briefly smiled and headed to finish his last drill of Sacramento State’s pro day; the end of a grueling pre-draft process was finally in sight. Once all was said and done, Slater boasted a Relative Athletic Score of 9.61 out of 10, a metric only 67 other guard prospects have beaten since 1987.
Pro day✅ pic.twitter.com/sgJOZAETc9
— Jackson Slater (@jacksonslater75) March 31, 2025
The windy Monday started almost perfectly for Slater, who would only test in three drills. After his 28.5” vertical jump at the NFL Combine fell short of his goal, he said he was set on rewriting the record on his vertical and showing off his athleticism.
Being the last Hornet to go, many NFL scouts stuck around to watch the Bellevue, Washington native jump. Slater lept, touched the sticks, yelled and dapped up his close friend and Sac State grad assistant Kaden Richardson.
Slater’s final vertical was 32.5”, which would have placed him eighth out of all offensive linemen at the NFL Combine.
“Being able to do the vertical again was awesome for me,” Slater said. “[I was] able to improve four inches. I’m really pumped about that.”
Scouts from all 32 NFL franchises and one CFL team watched the action at the joint pro day for Sac State, UC Davis and Hawaii. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Buccaneers have had official sit-down interviews with Slater and were in attendance for the event.
Slater’s positional drills pic.twitter.com/CUYlRGiwv9
— Jack Freeman (@JackFreeman_13) March 31, 2025
Slater said he has several more official visits with teams lined up, but declined to say which teams he would be meeting with. At his pro day, Slater had conversations with scouts for the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Seahawks.
Richardson was alongside Slater for much of the pro day experience and said he’s been helping Slater develop a greater understanding of NFL offenses before his visits.
“I’ve really challenged him to not only draw the O-line, but the big picture,” Richardson said. “Instead of just knowing, ‘I’m a right guard, I do this.’ No, what does the tight end do? I challenged him to learn the whole scheme, so he can show teams that he’s not just a guard or a center, but a football player.”
Richardson, a former teammate of Slater’s at Sac State, said that Slater’s been a little goofy and nerdy as long as he’s known him, which will make him the perfect “glue guy” for offensive line rooms.
“One of our sayings is ‘It’s all about the boys,’ and he really takes that to the next level,” Richardson said. “We’ve got hats that say ‘The Boys,’ shirts that say ‘The Boys’ and he’s always been that glue guy.”
Slater said he wants to continue bringing that attitude to whichever NFL locker room he ends up in. This feeling was reinforced after he spoke to NFL legends Orlando Pace and Will Shields at a dinner after the NFL Combine.
“I sat down with them for 30 minutes and picked their brains, not really about technique stuff, but how they handle their business,” Slater said. “There’s obviously all these rookie duties you gotta do, and you don’t want to rub people the wrong way… I’ve more than accepted the job that you have as a rookie.”
RELATED: Draft Diaries: Sac State guard sets his sights on rising up draft boards at NFL Combine
At the dinner, Slater said he also asked the duo questions about their longevity and how they were able to play in a grueling league for over a decade. He said they spoke about eating the right way, investing in position and personal trainers and finding non-traditional healing methods.
“Whether it be acupuncture or something spiritual, something I picked up from them was you want to broaden your horizons on different stuff that might make you a better football player,” Slater said.
With the pro day completed, Slater’s athletic testing is over. All that’s left for him is individual visits to NFL team facilities for interviews before he waits to hear his name called when the NFL Draft begins on April 24.
“I’ve always embraced the processes in the offseason, so this was usually stuff I’d enjoy, but it does get pretty tedious over the four months you’re doing it,” Slater said with a smile. “I’m very happy to get back to working out like normal, practicing offensive line like normal and getting back to more football stuff, which is what this is all about.”
