The 2025 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Sacramento State offensive lineman Jackson Slater plans on taking full advantage. Slater recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Slater also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, his positional versatility inside, how he’d write his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Slater better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Jackson Slater: I was sitting in my apartment. I’m currently training in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was on an off day when my agent Kenny Zuckerman gave me a call. Jim Nagy was on a three-way call and he told me I was getting the Senior Bowl invite.
Jim Nagy asked me if I was ready to come down to Mobile. I responded with a hell yeah (laughs). I was really excited.
JM: That sounds like a fun moment (laughs). What specifically are you looking to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Jackson Slater: The East-West Shrine Bowl is a great game as well. I got invited there too. It was always a goal of mine throughout college to get that Senior Bowl invite though. You always want to be one of those names in Mobile, especially as a small-school guy.
Being one of those small-school guys to represent the FCS level, or whatever level that is not FBS, there’s always quite a few of those offensive linemen every year at the Senior Bowl. I always hoped I’d be one of those representatives in Mobile. It’s cool that I was able to achieve that goal.
JM: What are you looking to prove to the scouts, coaches, and GMs in attendance at the Senior Bowl?
Jackson Slater: That I can hang with all of the big-time players. I’ve always said there’s a lot of great talent in the FCS. The Big Sky, the Missouri Valley, there’s talent to be found. Those two conferences always come to mind for me. I want to prove, as many players have done before me, that there’s good ball players at every level.
Another thing I’d like to display is my positional versatility. I played mostly guard in college, so I’d like to show that I can play all three interior positions. That’s a big goal for me heading into Mobile.
JM: So you plan on playing center in Mobile? And you think you can play all three positions at the next level?
Jackson Slater: Yeah, I do. I personally think my pinnacle as a football player will be reached at center. Years from now, I think I’ll be playing my best ball at center. Obviously, I’ve played a lot of guard in college. I still got some work in as a center though.
I was pretty much our backup center throughout my entire college football career. If anything crazy happened in-game, coach Richardson always said they’d throw me in at center. I’ve always been prepared to play center, but I never had an opportunity to play it for an extended period of time.
I didn’t get a ton of reps at center. I feel like I align with the build of a center though. I’m a stockier guy. I also think I’m smart enough to command an offensive line as well. I’d like to play all three interior positions in Mobile.
JM: Building on that, how would you write your own scouting report? Describe your traits and abilities. Are you a power guy in a phone booth, or agile in space? Self-scout yourself for us.
Jackson Slater: I’m an athletic player. I think I move very well for my size. There’s plenty of clips out there of me moving in space, whether it’s on power [play calls], in the screen game, or pin-and-pull.
I think I’m a very good protector [pass protection] as well. One thing I like to say about myself, I’m always doing the right thing. In the last two years, I don’t think I’ve had a single rep where I did the wrong thing on a play. I always know what my assignment is.
I’m a leader on the field, but I tend to lead by example more so than vocally. That’s an important trait to have as a leader. If you want to earn the respect of your teammates, I think I’ve always done that while bringing our unit together.
I love teamwork. I’m a great combo-blocker. I love working together and communicating in pass protection. I made sure we all understood our assignment in the passing game. That’s why our offensive line as a group at Sacramento State has seen some solid success over the past few years.
JM: We love how in-depth that answer was. Would you compare yourself to any linemen in the game right now? Anyone you enjoy studying and learning from?
Jackson Slater: I kinda compare myself to Mason McCormick. He was a fourth-round pick last year out of South Dakota State. I always try to follow the FCS players that were able to make it to the NFL, guys who have done well.
McCormick came out last year. We had some South Dakota State film at Sacramento State. I tried to watch as much of his game as I could. He’s obviously done well for himself. He’s a good guy for me to model my game after.
I watched a ton of Mason McCormick, and I think a lot of his game shows up in mine. We’re both good protectors and mean in the pulling game. There’s plenty of clips out there of him taking cornerbacks out, different plays where he’s out in space.
I see a lot of my game in his. It’s an easy comparison for me, because he came from the same level I’m coming from now.
JM: That’s a great comp. This has been an outstanding conversation. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Jackson Slater?
Jackson Slater: It’s tough to say. I don’t know how the week is going to go. A good week at the Senior Bowl means I played well at center and guard. It means I did well during one-on-one reps. I know a lot of stock gets placed in the one-on-ones.
At the end of the day, I’m going to feel confident about how I go about my business. I want to show the scouts, GMs, and coaches that I’m a reliable blocker. I take my work very seriously.
If I display all of those things, I’ll have a successful Senior Bowl.
