Broncos' Rookie DB Watched 'a Lot of Kam Chancellor Film'
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As a sixth-round draft pick, Denver Broncos rookie safety JL Skinner has garnered a fair number of headlines, and received a fair amount of flak, for not knowing exactly who Hall-of-Fame legend Steve Atwater is.
Skinner was born in 2001, and Atwater hung up his cleats back in 1999, so perhaps Denver's rookie safety can be largely forgiven and handed a brief history of the storied franchise he recently joined.
This new generation of NFL players is more likely to be inspired by the players it grew up watching in more recent times. For Skinner, he always idolized another notorious thumper on the back end — former Seattle Seahawks 'Legion of Boom' legend Kam Chancellor.
“The main guy I really watch is Kam Chancellor,” Skinner before being drafted. “Like, I watch a lot of Kam Chancellor film because he was so dominant and really was able to cover tight ends, cover all types of positions, and he was just so versatile to where I feel like I can be that same way in the NFL.”
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 209 pounds, Skinner is extremely tall and rangy for a safety — as was Chancellor. After a strong career at Boise State, Skinner suffered an unfortunate fall in the draft due to a torn pectoral injury just days before the NFL Combine.
Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton certainly enjoyed scouting Skinner's wide-ranging skill set, and they were thrilled to land him where they did in the draft.
“We liked him throughout the process," Paton said of Skinner following the draft. "The first thing you see is the size. He's almost 6’4’. Then the athletic ability for that size. We thought was unique. The short-area quickness, the range and you see the ball skills on tape. The thing that really sticks out is his physicality and playing downhill the run game. You see that all over the tape. He's a fun watch.
"We felt very fortunate to get him where we did.”
Sliding all the way into the sixth round was especially harsh on the 22-year-old, but he's likely well aware that his decorated hero Chancellor was fifth-round choice before becoming a dominant NFL force.
Skinner's physical characteristics and hard-hitting approach will remind fans of both Atwater and Chancellor. One of Chancellor’s greatest talents, in particular, was his unique ability to mix his hitting ability effectively with the NFL's fast and physical tight ends.
When you consider the constant recurring nightmare the Broncos have had defending against Kansas City Chiefs superstar TE Travis Kelce, finding an answer in coverage would be like striking gold. Nobody is expecting Skinner to step in and be that finished product immediately, but he could provide some extra pop and youthful energy in 2023.
All of a sudden, the Broncos' secondary is looking much deeper and more dangerous than it was previously, but don’t be surprised if it’s on special teams where Skinner makes his initial waves as a pro.
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