Posted by David Pevear, Sun Staff

The Patriots in the fifth round (153rd overall) drafted UCLA wide receiver/defensive back Matthew Slater, the son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, who was a Ram offensive lineman from 1976-1995. At the time of his retirement, Jackie Slater had played in the most games (259) of any offensive lineman in NFL history.
The Patriots traded with Tampa Bay to move up seven spots and select Slater, a burner who as a backup safety at UCLA this past season made his greatest impact as a kick returner. He returned three kicks for touchdowns.
"The thing that sticks out most in me is the way he worked," Slater said about his father. "It wasn’t necessarily the games; the games were great and you get to see that and everybody sees that on Sunday. But I saw the things about my dad that people didn’t see: the blood, sweat and tears that he put into this game and how he prepared and the respect that he gave to the game of football. I think that’s something he has passed on to me."
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Slater's strength is returning kicks. "We'll see how that develops," said Belichick. "But he does have some flexibility. He played on both sides of the ball, so we'll see how that goes. We list him as a receiver. But that may or may not end up being the way it is."