GAINESVILLE — Jake Slaughter was supposed to have to patiently wait until Friday night to hear his name called.
Even then, Florida’s decorated and dependable center was no sure thing to be selected on Day 2 of the NFL draft.
Meanwhile, Austin Barber, who started 47 games at tackle for the Gators, nearly had to wait until Saturday.
But Slaughter instead was chosen with the No. 61 pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, the penultimate selection of the second round. He’ll now make a cross-country leap from north Florida to the West Coast to join coach Jim Harbaugh and protect franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.
Barber eventually landed with the Cleveland Browns, with the No. 86 selection late in the third round.
Slaughter, a native of Sparr, just outside Ocala, became the first Florida center drafted since Mike Pouncey went No. 15 in the 2011 draft to the Dolphins.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Slaughter as the top center in the draft, but projected him as just a fourth-round pick. His rise on draft boards reflects both production and dependability.
Across 33 starts and more than 2,000 career snaps, he allowed just six pressures and three sacks — a remarkable level of consistency, particularly within an offense that struggled for rhythm during former coach Billy Napier’s tenure.
Barber was projected as a third- or fourth-round pick after starting the past three seasons at left tackle. But the 6-foot-6¾, 318-pound Jacksonville native is likely an NFL right tackle — where he shined as a redshirt freshman in 2022.
At 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds, Slaughter combines size with mobility, highlighted by a solid NFL Scouting Combine showing that included a 5.1-second 40-yard dash and a 32.5-inch vertical leap. While he’ll need to increase upper-body strength — he posted 22 reps on the 225-pound bench press — Slaughter’s football IQ, toughness and leadership consistently stood out.
Those traits helped him earn first-team All-SEC honors twice and 2024 first-team All-America honors by the Associated Press.
Florida Gators offensive lineman Austin Barber celebrates a touchdown by running back Montrell Johnson Jr., during the Gators 2023 win against Tennessee at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)
Barber tested eighth among tackles at the Scouting Combine after he ran a 5.12 40, posted a 32-inch vertical and 9-3 broad jump. He was the ninth tackle selected in the draft. Barber is Florida’s first offensive tackle selected this high since Jawaan Taylor went No. 35 to the Jaguars in 2019.
Iowa’s Logan Jones, the No. 57 pick by the Chicago Bears, was the only center drafted before Slaughter.
Slaughter and Barber are the latest draft success stories for the Gators. The two linemen arrived in the 2021 class and were together for five years at UF.
Defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who went No. 18 to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round, was the first defensive tackle drafted.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com