GAINESVILLE — Center Jake Slaughter doesn’t get stumped often. It’s part of what made him indispensable at Florida.
His football IQ, toughness and leadership helped produce a consensus All-America season in 2024 and twice a spot on the All-SEC first team. But even Slaugther was caught off guard by NFL decision-makers at the scouting combine.
“They were asking about legal records. I got a fender bender in high school, and they found that one,” Slaughter said. “That was a gotcha.”
Back in April 2020 Slaughter was a day laborer in Ocala during the pandemic, months before arriving at UF. The minor traffic mishap had long faded from memory — not exactly the kind of moment he expected to revisit at the combine.
“I said, ‘Buddy, we were in COVID. I don’t know,’ ” Slaughter recalled. ” ‘I was running on a sod crew. I couldn’t tell you.’ ”
On the football field, though, Slaughter has been tougher to trip up.
Across 33 starts and more than 2,000 snaps with Gators, he allowed six pressures and three sacks, providing rare consistency amid the struggles of former coach Billy Napier’s offense.
Teams value that reliability, along with a solid combine performance that included a 5.1-second 40-yard dash and 32.5-inch vertical leap.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Slaughter as the top center in the draft, thought he projects him as a fourth-round pick.
“I like everything about Slaughter’s game,” Kiper wrote on ESPN.com. “Slaughter is just a really good, consistent football player.”
Others are less convinced. Longtime draft analyst Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports questions the 6-foot-5, 303-pound Slaughter’s strength — he posted 22 reps on the 225-pound bench press — and fit at the next level.
“He’s smart and he’s tough, and he’s got room to get bigger,” Pauline told the Orlando Sentinel. “There’s a lot of effort. Gets the most from his ability. But what is he?”
After meeting with all 32 NFL teams at January’s Senior Bowl and the following month at the combine, Slaughter understands the evaluation process.
“Everybody’s got something,” he said. “A lot of good, lot of stuff to fix. It’s a turtle race.”
A native of Sparr on the outskirts of Ocala, Slaughter leans on a blue-collar work ethic passed down from his father, Jack, along with a shared love of the outdoors. He plans to watch the draft at home, but might slip out to go fishing — rather than weigh draft projections or criticism.
The toughest question he’s faced so far didn’t come between the lines, but from a fender bender he’d long forgotten.
But Slaughter wants teams to know one thing most of all: “I love football and I play hard for my guys.”
Concerns linger after multiple foot surgeries, but Banks’ upside could be too enticing to pass up. He tested exceptionally well at 6 foot 6, 327 pounds, including a 5.04 40 and 32-inch vertical. Limited to three games in 2025, he was disruptive. He dominated late in 2024, highlighted by a 2.5-sack day in an upset of Ole Miss. Healthy, he could be a steal.
After three seasons at left tackle, Barber likely shifts to the right side — where he excelled as a redshirt freshman in 2022. The 6-foot-6 7/8, 318-pound Jacksonville native ranked eighth among tackles at the combine. His versatility, athleticism and 47 college starts point to Day 2 value, but he must play with more power and less finesse.
Injuries could push Moore into Day 3, but his length (6-3 1/4, 198), tackling and better-than-tested speed stand out after 4.5 40 while returning from groin surgery. After playing 19 of 38 games from 2022-24, he started 11 in 2025, recording 35 tackles and six passes defended. He must develop better ball skills in man coverage.