With the 173rd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected defensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton. He became the third Florida player picked in the fifth round.
Slaton arrived at Florida with ridiculous expectations, and while he never quite met those expectations in four years with the Gators, he reached his goal of being drafted when his name was called on Saturday.
As a fifth-round pick, the Packers see incredible potential to mold Slaton with his monstrous size. His 6-4, 340-pound frame makes up for his need for development at the next level.
He finished his Florida career with 98 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In his lone season as a full-time starter in 2020, he had 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries.
Slaton is Florida’s only defensive lineman to be drafted thus far. Fellow tackle Kyree Campbell is still waiting to find out if he will be selected or go the undrafted free agent route.