OT, Northwestern
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 315 lbs
Class: Junior
Skoronski was rated as a four star recruit coming out of high school in 2020, and the third highest ranked player in the state of Illinois. Despite playing both offensive and defensive tackle in high school he was initially recruited as a center. He earned offers from nine schools, including Michigan and Notre Dame, but opted to stay in-state with Northwestern.
Skoronski was thrust into the limelight as a true freshman after Wildcats left tackle Rashawn Slater opted out of the 2020 season, leaving him to fill the void. He has performed admirably ever since, earning All-Conference honours in each of his two seasons.
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Strengths
Skoronski has earned a reputation as one of the most refined tackle prospects in the country and nowhere is this more evident than his hand usage. He already looks like an NFL tackle, showing the ability to work his hands independently with excellent timing. This helps him to have a tonne of success in pass protection, where he is able to establish control early and shut down his opponent. Skoronski has allowed just 37 pressures on his 784 career pass blocking snaps.
It also allows him to be an effective presence in the running game. Whilst Skoronski isn’t the biggest or most physically imposing offensive lineman, his refined hand usage helps him to still win his matchups. He is quick to latch onto his opponents and shows the requisite torque to steer the blocks and displace defenders. He is also comfortable resetting his hands if his initial placement isn’t ideal.
Another of Skoronski’s big strengths is his intelligence and awareness. This shows up most noticeably in pass protection. He shows good awareness of counters and is adept at cutting off defenders who seek to challenge his inside shoulder. He also knows how to use subtle hands movements to force defenders into making their move early. Skoronski also has great peripheral vision and is very comfortable handling stunts and blitzes.
Last but not least is Skoronski’s athletic profile. He is a good athlete for the position, with the requisite foot quickness to handle speed rushers from wide alignments. His ability to redirect laterally is also very impressive. Skoronski’s athleticism also makes him an asset as a blocker in space. Northwestern would use him as a puller to great effect and he is excellent at locating and clearing out defenders at the second level. He can also be a powerful presence as a lead blocker on screens.
Weaknesses
The biggest concern with Skoronski’s game is his arm length. He is noticeably short limbed for an offensive tackle and is likely to fall short of the NFL’s traditional threshold of 33″ arms. Whilst his excellent technique will often allow him to overcome this, it does cause issues at times on tape. Skoronski will struggle to impose himself on longer defenders. He is also prone to leaning into his blocks to compensate for his lack of length, something that smarter defenders can exploit.
Another issue with his game is his anchor. Skoronski does show the ability to drop his weight and neutralise defenders, but it will often take him some time to do so. The biggest issue here is that he lacks the lower body strength to withstand power on impact. His playing weight has historically been lower than you would like, though this looks set to change in 2022. After playing at just 294 lbs as a sophomore, he is now listed as 315 lbs as a junior.
Bottom Line
Skoronski already displays the movement skills, technique, and awareness that NFL teams look for in offensive tackle prospects. The arm length debate will follow Skoronski throughout the draft process, and teams will likely be divided on whether he fits best at tackle or guard. That said, he has all of the requisite traits to be a dominant offensive lineman at the next level.
Ideal role: Tackle in a wide-zone scheme
Round projection: 1st round
