‘He’ll knock your helmet off.’ NFL Draft experts sound off on Boise State’s Skinner
A player from Boise State has been picked in the NFL Draft every year since 2010.
The Broncos extended that draft streak last year when wide receiver Khalil Shakir was picked by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round.
In 2021, tight end John Bates went to Washington in the fourth round and former cornerback Avery Williams was picked by the Falcons in the fifth. Williams moved to running back last season.
Safety JL Skinner is Boise State’s best chance to keep the streak going this year. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound defensive back was a first-team All-Mountain West pick after posting 65 tackles and a team-high four interceptions last season.
Skinner probably would have been drafted last year had he declared, but he decided to return to school in the hopes of winning a Mountain West championship. The Broncos fell just short of the title after losing at home to Fresno State.
The San Diego native’s draft stock is high again this year. A recent mock draft from Yahoo had the Bills picking him late in the third round, but Skinner’s path to the draft has been anything but smooth.
He was so impressive at the Senior Bowl that his teammates voted him National Team pactice player of the week, but he missed playing in the nationally televised all-star game because of a death in his family.
Skinner also couldn’t work out at the NFL Scouting Combine or Boise State’s Pro Day after suffering a torn pectoral muscle, which he said will take about 12 weeks to heal.
That many setbacks could tank the draft stock of a lot of players, but ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said he still thinks Skinner will come off the board in the second or third rounds. This year’s draft is scheduled for April 27-29.
“If you can get a guy like Skinner in the late second or early third, then I think you’re getting a steal and a player that’s going to be around the football more often than not,” McShay said on the First Draft podcast.
McShay said Skinner’s size and game film will make up for what scouts aren’t seeing right now because of his injury. Skinner led Boise State with 92 tackles in 2021, and he has seven interceptions in the past three seasons.
“JL Skinner is fun to watch,” McShay said. “He’s a guy that is going to make some plays, not only in the backfield but also when the ball is in the air.”
Skinner is also benefiting from a class of safeties that is lacking in top-end talent, said McShay, noting that Alabama’s Brian Branch probably will be the only safety taken in the first round.
McShay has concerns about Skinner’s speed and his ability to play strictly in coverage, but he said the former Bronco is at his best when he’s playing near the line of scrimmage.
“When he’s in the box, he’ll knock your helmet off,” McShay said. “He can play in coverage, but my goodness, he is great versus the run.”
Skinner finished his college career with 208 tackles.
What they’re saying
Here’s a look at where draft analysts have Skinner ranked among the top 10 safeties in this year’s draft.
The Athletic: No. 3
“Skinner uses his long strides to mirror receivers and cover a ton of ground,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote, “but he also plays with the physicality and flexibility to navigate through congestion.”
Pro Football Focus: No. 9
“Skinner is a 6-foot-4 box safety who could even end up in the slot or at linebacker at the next level,” PFF’s Michael Renner wrote. “He has a nose for the football and the kind of burst to go find it.”
CBS Sports: No. 2
Sports Illustrated: No. 5
NFL Draft Buzz: No. 6
USA Today: No. 9
