NFL Draft 2021: Five best picks of the first round

4. Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert spent too much time running for his life during his rookie campaign with the Chargers. Credit Los Angeles’ front office for providing him a quality upgrade at left tackle in Round 1. Slater may never blossom into a superstar, but grabbing a potential Pro Bowler at No. 13 represents great value for the Chargers.

Los Angeles did a nice job waiting for the draft board to fall to them. It would have been easy for their front office to fall victim to the temptation to move up to make sure they got their man. Instead, they stood pat at No. 13 and landed Slater without parting with any valuable draft capital.

Slater’s strength as a player is his quickness and technique as a pass-blocker. That allows him to neutralize high-quality edge rushers despite his lack of length or elite size. He’s more of a technician than a mauler but that works well in Los Angeles’ offensive system.

Chargers fans might have preferred to see their front office go for a big-name skill player with this year’s first round pick but choosing substance ever style was the right path forward for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations in 2021. Slater is going to be a good player for Los Angeles for a long time.