NFL Draft Profile: JL Skinner, Safety, Boise State Broncos
In this story:
#0
Pos: S
Ht: 6040
Wt: 209
Hand: 0828
Arm: 3200
Wing: 7778
40: 4.45
DOB: 4/16/2001
Hometown: San Diego, CA
High School: Point Loma
Eligibility: 2023
JL Skinner
Boise State Broncos
One-Liners
It is hard to find safeties with all the tools Skinner possesses and his high-level tape will make him one of the most coveted defensive backs in next year’s class.
Evaluation:
The first thing that stands out on Skinner’s film is how big he is. It isn’t hard to see that Skinner is the NFL player on the field. He has an excellent frame, with very good weight for his size. For a bigger safety, Skinner has a great blend of fluidity and speed that allow him to play at all three levels of the field. Boise State will have him play close to the line of scrimmage, as a two high safety and even single high. His range was fantastic and showed up continually. Skinner is able to cover a lot of ground as a single high safety and in short zones. He comes downhill with his hair on fire and Skinner uses his length to make plays on the football. In man coverage against tight ends, Skinner really excelled. He covers a lot of ground, has the loose hips to change direction with them and the length to make a play on the ball. Skinner has that rare ability to be a tight end eraser at the next level. Right now, Skinner’s tackling technique needs work but he flashed as a big time enforcer. His play strength and size make it easy for him to come downhill and disrupt the ball carrier. Skinner will also need to improve on reducing angles. He is able to recover against slower college wideouts and running backs but that won’t be the case in the NFL. As a single high safety, Skinner can lack instincts and anticipation, which causes him to be late to the football. Overall, Skinner has the tools to be a defensive chess piece, who can be an impact player at all three levels of the field. Boise State has produced several great NFL players and Skinner is next in line.
Grade:
2nd Round
Background:
JL Skinner, an All-Mountain Second Team player from San Diego, will look to be a key defensive player for Boise State. In 2019 and 2020, he started seven games for the team and made key contributions. In high school at Point Loma High School, Skinner was a three-star prospect and was first team All San Diego as a senior. He also played on the offensive side of the ball, where he had eleven touchdowns and over a thousand all-propose yards.
