Ex-Broncos QB Speaks Out on 6th-Round Safety JL Skinner
With the NFL draft now in the books, grades and analysis continue to roll in on the Denver Broncos' 2023 class. One pick that has garnered more buzz than the typical run-of-the-mill sixth-rounder is former Boise State safety JL Skinner.
Were it not for a pectoral injury suffered just days before the NFL Combine, the Broncos would have had to use a much higher draft pick to secure Skinner's services. But the injury caused the hard-hitting safety to plummet on draft day and into the Broncos' clutches on Day 3.
Quarterback Brett Rypien, who just signed with the Los Angeles Rams after spending his first fours seasons with the Broncos, shares an alma mater with Skinner and gave 9NEWS' Mike Klis some pithy feedback on what caliber of safety is hitting the roster.
“Great pick,’’ Rypien told Klis. “I think he’s a great player.”
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Skinner is coming off a prolific final season at Boise State, proving that he's as much a ballhawk as he is a hitter. He finished 2022 with 65 tackles (36 solo), five pass break-ups, and four interceptions.
Broncos general manager George Paton dished post-draft on how Skinner captured the team's attention.
"We've liked him throughout the process. I think the first thing you see is the size," Paton said of Skinner. "He's almost 6-[foot]-4, and then the athletic ability for that size, we thought was unique. The short-area quickness, the range. You see the ball skills on tape. The thing that really sticks out is his physicality and playing downhill in the run game. You see that all over the tape. He's a fun watch, and Sean [Payton] and I have watched a lot of tape on him. He's a fun watch. I think the injury did impact where he was drafted. We felt very fortunate to get him where we did."
With veteran Kareem Jackson still languishing on the free-agent market, the Broncos have moved forward. The Broncos have talked to Jackson, but no deal to return has been reached.
“We’re talking to Kareem, we love Kareem,’’ Paton told 9NEWS. “Skinner has no impact on Kareem. It’s a free-agent deal. He’s a unique leader, he can still play.”
Jackson is a great leader but his play the past two years has declined. The Broncos are hoping to upgrade that spot on defense and the contenders to start at strong safety this coming season next to Justin Simmons are Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke, and maybe Skinner.
I like Skinner's upside, but considering the injury (Denver doesn't expect it to cost him games), and his relative inexperience, it's likely to take time for him to carve out a starting role. But injuries to a depth chart could accelerate that process, provided Skinner himself manages to stay healthy.
The Broncos will host their rookie minicamp next week.
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