Round 5 Pick 173 TJ Slaton DT FLorida

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" Pro Football Focus has a stat called run stops. Essentially, it measures impact tackles. A first-and-10 tackle that limits the play to 3 yards or less is a run stop. A tackle that limits the play to 4 yards is not a stop.

Slaton ranks second among all interior defenders with five run stops. More than just a beefy run stopper, of the 104 interior defenders with at least 20 pass rushes, Slaton ranks 21st in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. That’s quality work considering most of his reps have come against starting linemen."

Hoping for great things from him this year.

Reports from camp have him really giving the opposing linemen a hard time.

With no 69 or blockitman, not as difficult.

TJ Slaton is an exceptionally HUGE dude with a pretty quick first step.

That makes it really hard on the OL because even though he's a huge target to block, he's already next to them when they're coming out of their stance.

Gilbert Brown was a massive dude too, but quickness wasn't his game. He won by setting anchor and becoming an immovable object.

TJ is still learning that skill, but is already winning with 1st step and power
Many times he's asked to 2 gap, but when he penetrates - he's a load

Check the film at the 1:04 mark and he splits the double team on pass rush

Larry also has some run stuffage clips, you can see the OL going backwards as TJ
re-sets the LOS in the backfield.

Gilbert did a little more than just anchor.

Hopefully Slaton is good enough that someone names a burger after him like they did with Gilbert Brown.

More notes on TJ Slaton - including how he allows Barry to move Kenny Clark off the nose on occasion

https://packerswire.usatoday.c...t-in-training-camp/?

"As a primary run-stuffer lining up in the A-gap, TJ Slaton’s impact likely isn’t always going to show up on the stat sheet, which comes with the territory in this early down role. However, Slaton’s teammates will feel his presence with his ability to occupy space, eat up double teams, and control the line of scrimmage.

Having this element in the middle will allow Joe Barry to move Kenny Clark around more freely in search of one-on-one opportunities while also helping to keep the linebackers clean to make plays. "

If you recall, DC Joe Barry spent time in LA working with Aaron Donald - and if Barry can move Kenny around like the Rams did with AD -  that's a huge winner for the DL wreaking havoc.

That's a solid analogy, as Kenny is pretty close to Donald in skill.

More love for Slaton.

https://packerswire.usatoday.c...da51cbb61b721acb21b7

[H]ead coach Matt LaFleur mentioned that [Slaton] was “light years” ahead of where he was a year ago at that time.

Physically unpossible!

This is a great snap from TJ Slaton and shows off the power he brings to the table on a middle pass rush. He's walking that OG right back into QB, while still covering his gaps.
At one point, the OL has slowed his rush and TJ slides off to his right. However, if he slides off the OG to his left - he has a better chance of stifling the QB scramble.

When you're rushing a QB up the middle like TJ, your main job is to push the pocket back so the QB can't just step up and avoid the arcing OLBs

However, its often helpful to play that middle rush like you're defending in basketball - ie you don't attack the QB head on, but rather attack the strong hand and force the dribbler ( QB) to go to his left ( weaker side)
That's a much harder throw to make and also takes away a right -handed persons' natural instinct to escape right. Take that away

Slaton is impressive already and it seems like he's gonna see a lot of snaps at  1 tech - which allows Kenny to slide over to 3-tech and hopefully see fewer double teams. DL looking deep and talented so far and TJ is making the Year 2 leap.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1558644002425110528

TBF, #74 is rookie Spencer Burford that Slaton blew up there. Now, if he does that consistently, we've got something to be excited about.

But I loved the pick last year when we took him...people who know far more than me told me he was gonna be a good one.

@Chongo posted:

TBF, #74 is rookie Spencer Burford that Slaton blew up there.

Yup, the first of many OL that get all blowed up by TJ   

Apparently, Burford also won the starting job at RG  (from The Athletic)

"So far during training camp, rookie Spencer Burford has taken all of the team’s first-team snaps at right guard, a position that Brunskill manned last season.

Banks didn’t allow a single pressure in 15 snaps of pass protection against Green Bay, per Pro Football Focus. Burford fared worse by that metric, allowing five pressures over 17 snaps.

But Burford did enjoy some bright moments, especially showcasing strength in the run game. On this rep, he drove Packers edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare into the ground.

“We got to see why they’re in the position that they are — they have an opportunity to be our starters,” Shanahan said of Banks and Burford.
“It was good to play them a bunch because they both need it. We kept Burford in there a little longer because he’s a little less experienced. They need these three games.  I thought they showed out there why we believe in them."

from camp today: