The thing is Ollie Lawrence has been fulfilling the role of a 12.
First phase defensively he's been set at 12, while Slade covers the outside arc in the 13 channel (traditionally seen as the most difficult defensive role in rugby). On split field it means you have two operators who are comfortable in the 13 channel while Lawrence has shown he can do all you'd want from a 12 offensively. Great running lines, gets the hands free for an offload and with sharp footwork/speed. His hands are decent enough for some subtle passing but definitely an area he can improve.
The one area a fan can't quantify is how much impact a player has in calling and leading a pattern of play. We've heard of Slade as the leader for England's defense but not so much about Lawrence, or if he helps out the out halves from time to time. That being said, with both Smith's on the pitch it may reduce the need for that in the centres slightly.
In short, I actually think England need a 13. Slade has been playing that role defensively but has made some poor reads this 6N on top of missing a veritable shitload of tackles. It's been a turnstile, and someone like Oscar Beard who had the pace to play back three and physicality to play in the centres is ideal for that role. Pace gets you out of a lot of troublesome situations and the way he plays makes him seem like a player who can disorganise a defense and help create some unstructured players for which Smith, Lawrence, Mitchell et al can make hay against.
The reason Slade is so good at calling a defense and decision making on the blitz/drift is experience. If you want to see other people try and step into that role of commanding the OC channel defensively, the summer tour is the perfect time to do so. I wouldn't make massive changes for that tour if possible as the structure of attack is still building but I do think that's an area where some work can really be done to improve the team as a whole
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