Boise State Safety JL Skinner Will Get an NFL Team Beat

An NFL defense needs more out of a safety than JL Skinner can offer on game film.

I don’t know a lot of these prospects from a stranger when I start studying them.

As I like to say, the players basically write their own evaluations based on their performance.

All I do is identify traits, patterns and tendencies and write them down.

Scouting is that easy.

Skinner is subpar providing help over the top

One of the main responsibilities of a safety is to provide the corners with deep help over the top.

Skinner was always a day late and a dollar short getting out to the sidelines in time.

He did not even show he could do it against his level of competition.

How is he going to do it in the NFL?

Awful in run support

I ran out of space in my notes for negative comments in run support.

There were missed tackles, and then tackles he didn’t even try to make.

There were a handful of times he would wait at the goal-line or worse yet, in the end zone on long developing plays.

It was a bad look and it’s right there on his game film, for the world to see.

Skinner was consistently hesitant and reluctant.

I couldn’t count how many times he ended up by the pile after his teammates had to make tackles for him.

Best case, he didn’t want to make tackles until the running back reached the linebacker level (5-7 yards downfield).

Sure, there were a few times he cared and ran in and made tackles, but even then he is not a strong tackler.

He’s more of an undependable lightweight hitter.

How is Skinner getting first-round play?

The only reason I spent a few hours studying his game film, to begin with, is because I saw his name pop up on Draftwire when they put a first-round grade on him.

They were not alone.

It turns out Sports Illustrated, 247 Sports, Pro Football Network, and CBS also gave him a first-round grade.

Respectfully, that is eye-opening to me, because on the game film I watched, I saw someone who didn’t warrant getting selected in rounds 1-7.

My interview at the Jets came down to me looking Bill Belichick in the eyes and convincing him to hire me.

As someone who has sat in that chair – – there is no way Skinner can help an NFL team when he doesn’t have the speed to help over the top while he plays give-up football against the run.

Any positives?

Yes, I need to keep this real.

Skinner did well in shadowing backs and receivers matched up in man, but he wasn’t much of a playmaker. He is much more of a stop after the catch has been made defender.

He also did a nice job in the intermediate to deep portion of the middle part of the field.

Skinner did come in and made a few decent-looking tackles. So it’s in him, but it’s like pulling teeth to get it out of him.

#0 JL Skinner 6-foot-4, 220 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Grade: Undraftable Free Agent – Fall 2022 Report

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Projected by 10.7% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of November 16, 2022 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Level of competition: Moderate

2021 game film reviewed: Nevada, Fresno State, and UCF (click to watch games viewed to form this evaluation)

2021 stats: 92 tackles (66 solo, 26 assists), 3 passes defended, 2 INT., 2 forced fumbles

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Muscular with decent straight-line speed and reluctant in support. Plays a lot of deep safety. Best in man shadowing short to mid-range and covering the middle part of the field. Broke up a couple and had one interception on a deep post. Failed to provide help in time over the top on the sidelines. Decent range, but not good or great. Awful run support more than half the time. Extremely hesitant at times or did what he could to avoid getting involved. Doesn’t pack a lot of punch. Will not move the meter.

What to watch for during the 2022 college football season?

1. Can he provide help over the top deep along the sidelines in time to defend passes?
2. What are his interception and pass-defended numbers?
3. Does he quit against the run?
4. Consistency tackling?

Skinner will not be on my big board. I am not making that decision. He made that decision for me.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.