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Bruce Johnson -> RE: NFL Draft 2021 (3/24/2021 12:46:29 PM)
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This is Reid's capsule on Slater:
The son of an eight-year NBA veteran, Slater’s athleticism is the singular trait that his entire game revolves around. One of the signature moments of his career came against Chase Young where he was consistently able to stymie the eventual No. 2 overall pick of the 2020 draft. Slater’s quick feet, strength, and smarts make him an easy projection to the next level. At which position is where the biggest debates will come about him. Measuring with 33-inch arms at his Pro Day didn’t silence any of those thoughts as there are some evaluators that believe his potential will be unleashed more at guard, but I’m of the belief that Slater must be tried as an offensive tackle first and prove that he can’t survive there prior to sliding him inside. Regardless, he’s a prospect that has the potential to thrive at all five spots along the offensive front.
And surprisingly he has Vera-Tucker ahead of Darrisaw. Here is Vera-Tucker:
In back-to-back seasons, Vera-Tucker has gained experience at both guard and offensive tackle. As a result, his stock has increased exponentially. An above-average athlete, Vera-Tucker seems to always remain on balance, but it’s his hand strength, advanced technique, and awareness that make him one of the more versatile blockers of this draft class. Opinions will vary where his best positional outlook may be. He seems to have more upside as a guard, but it shouldn’t be surprising if some teams have him graded as a tackle. Vera-Tucker is a plug-and-play option that could thrive immediately as a starter in a zone-based blocking scheme.
And Darrisaw:
Manning the left tackle spot since entering Blacksburg, Darrisaw turned into a stalwart for the Hokies’ offensive front. As an underrecruited prospect, he originally attended Fork Union Military College where he attributes his growth and the start of his maturation process. The least talked about player of the 26-man 2018 recruiting class turned out to be the best as he started in all 34 games that he appeared in. Playing at his own tempo, Darrisaw is a powerful and scheme-proof type of offensive tackle that can thrive right away in a gap-power or zone blocking scheme. Taking his size, play temperament, and upside, he’s reminiscent of another former Hokies first-round offensive tackle in Duane Brown.
Also worth pointing out is that he has Ojulari as his best edge rushing prospect, just ahead of Paye. That's interesting. Everybody I hear talking about Ojulari says that they really like him a lot!
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