Payton: Vision for Broncos' JL Skinner 'Still at Safety'

The second-year defender is not changing positions, per his head coach.

August 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos safety JL Skinner (34) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed Tuesday the vision for second-year backup JL Skinner is "still at safety," clamoring whispers of a move elsewhere in the defensive formation.

"This is going to be one of those—we talked about during this training camp, we’re going to see a lot when the pads come on and we’re in these team run-pass periods," Payton said. "Do we feel like he’s better versus the run? Do we feel like he’s better versus the pass? I do think he has good instincts. I’d say the second half of last season, even when he was running scout team, we noticed on offense quite a bit, ‘Man, this guy all of the sudden was jumping routes.’ He was someone that stood out on the tape. I think he’ll want to build on that.”

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Skinner's rookie season was largely a wash as he appeared in two games and only logged 10 snaps on defense. The Boise State product, selected 183rd overall in 2023, suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the pre-draft process that decelerated his initial NFL development.

But not his intrigue.

"He got an opportunity this past week and excelled on [special] teams," general manager George Paton said in January. "We saw it in practice—the range, the physicality. [He was] Scout Team Player of the Week multiple times."

With a 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame and propensity to lay the lumber, some speculated that Skinner could shift to a "dimebacker" role under coordinator Vance Joseph and new secondary coach Jim Leonhard. While there might be a special package to capitalize on his physicality, the expectation is he'll remain closer to the back end than the line of scrimmage.

That is, of course, assuming playing time. Skinner is currently projected as the Broncos' fifth safety behind tentative starters Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke and key reserves Caden Sterns and Delarrin Turner-Yell.

This summer, like Payton said, will sort out the logjam. And it'll be of Skinner's own volition where he lies when the dust settles.

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