Packers: 3 pleasant surprises from first week of training camp
TJ Slaton
The Packers desperately needed some help along the defensive line, and rookie TJ Slaton is showing why he can be a difference maker right away.
Slaton is 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, and according to reports from training camp, is proving to be difficult for offensive linemen to beat one-on-one. Or even two-on-one in some cases.
A Jake Hanson/Simon Stepaniak double team on TJ Slaton does nothing. Slaton was still moving in a positive direction. He’s going to be tough to handle.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) July 29, 2021
On Tuesday, he even had a pick-six against Jordan Love.
If Slaton continues to impress, he could be a candidate to start at nose tackle in Joe Barry’s defense. This would be great news for a couple of reasons. One being that it shows Slaton is ready to be a starter for the Packers, and also because it would free up Kenny Clark to line up elsewhere, giving him more opportunities to get after the quarterback and make an impact.
Clark has often had to face double teams at nose tackle, and while he’s excellent in that role, it limits his opportunities to generate pressures and make the game-changing plays we’ve seen from him in the past.
Slaton is a strong player and will be tough to run against, and that’s exactly what this Packers defense has needed.
Slaton is off to a great start at training camp. Hopefully the fifth-round pick can build on this and be a regular starter this season.