“I don’t really consider a drop. I consider it me being placed into the correct hands,” Skinner said of falling to Denver in the 6th round.
The Denver Broncos used a sixth-round pick to select Boise State safety JL Skinner last month. Landing him that late in the draft could prove to be a steal.
Broncos general manager George Paton said the team liked Skinner’s size (6-4, 209 pounds) and physicality. Skinner stood out to Paton and head coach Sean Payton on film, but he fell in the draft due in part to a pectoral injury.
“Sean and I have watched a lot of tape on him, and he’s a fun watch,” Paton said after the draft. “I think the injury did impact where he was drafted. We felt very fortunate to get him where we did.”
Even without participating in drills at the combine, Skinner was projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick by NFL.com. He instead slid to the sixth round — but Skinner believes it was meant to be.
“I tore my pec before the combine — about two days before the combine,” Skinner said. “That’s the reason why a drop may have happened, but I don’t really consider a drop. I consider it me being placed into the correct hands. The Denver Broncos are the correct hands for me and I’m excited to be out there.”
Skinner said he is ahead of schedule in his recovery and he expects to be fully cleared for football activity by minicamp in June.
“I’m running and doing everything right now — lifting and doing all that stuff,” Skinner said. “So, not too far. I’m about a month out from my full expected recovery to be fully cleared, but I’m back doing all my normal activities — my normal things every day. It’s been good.”
Skinner is expected to contribute primarily on special teams as a rookie while competing for rotational playing time in the secondary.
Every NFL draft has its selection of steals — those players who could surprise despite their low selections — and here’s one for every NFL team.
One of the many reasons the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII was the job that general manager Brett Veach did outside of the first round of the 2022 draft. Three defensive backs (Bryan Cook in the second round, Joshua Williams in the fourth, and Jaylen Watson in the seventh) were difference-makers all season, and seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco became the team’s bellcow back down the stretch. Also, second-round receiver Skyy Moore joined Pacheco with touchdowns in that Super Bowl victory over the Eagles.
First-round hits are nice, but it’s almost worse to miss in the first round than it is better to win there from an opportunity cost perspective. If you want to refresh your roster at a championship level, you had better get those picks right on the second and third day. Veach and his staff did that, and it was the difference that made all the difference in the end.
Moving to the 2023 NFL draft, we’ve selected one second- or third-day pick for every NFL team who could have a similar impact on their NFL roaters sooner than mater. Each of these players have reasons for their relatively low picks in line with their tape, stats, and talent, but these are the kinds of finds that can turn a team around over time.
The Denver Broncos picked Boise State safety JL Skinner in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft last week.
Skinner (6-4, 209 pounds) was projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, so landing him late in the draft could prove to be a big steal for the Broncos.
Skinner did not work out at the NFL combine after suffering a torn pectoral muscle, and that might have contributed to his fall in the draft.
Skinner, a hard-hitting safety, could prove to be especially useful for Denver in coverage against tight ends. He earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2022 after totaling 65 tackles, five pass breakups and four interceptions as a senior.
Here are Skinner’s highlights from his time with college football’s Broncos:
In Denver, Skinner will likely contribute primarily on special teams as a rookie while competing for rotational snaps in the secondary. He seems unlikely to start over Caden Sterns in Week 1, but Skinner has long-term starter upside.
The team’s biggest value picks seem to be Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders, Boise State safety JL Skinner and Oregon center Alex Forsyth.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein predicted Sanders would go off the board in the first or second round. Denver got him in the third. Zierlein had Skinner going in the third or fourth round (the Broncos got him in the sixth). The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had a fifth-round grade on Forsyth (an eventual seventh-round pick).
Denver did a good job getting the most out of its limited draft capital this year, and the team will return to having a more normal set of picks (including a first-round pick) in 2024.
“The talks are ongoing,” #Broncos GM George Paton said of safety Kareem Jackson. “We’re speaking with Kareem and his agent, so we’re open.”
Even after selecting two defensive backs in the NFL draft over the weekend, the Denver Broncos are still open to a potential reunion with veteran safety Kareem Jackson.
“We’re open with Kareem,” Broncos general manager George Paton said after the draft on Saturday evening. “The talks are ongoing. We’re speaking with Kareem and his agent, so we’re open.”
Jackson, 35, has spent the last four years in Denver as a starter across from Justin Simmons. If he re-signs with the Broncos, it would likely be a one-year deal to provide depth and leadership in the team’s secondary.
Right now, Caden Sterns appears poised to start at safety across from Simmons in 2023. Denver also picked Boise State safety JL Skinner in the sixth round of the draft over the weekend, but the team could still use more depth at the position.
Jackson is one of three notable in-house free agents who remain unsigned, joining running back Latavius Murray and backup swing tackle Cam Fleming. All three could be potential candidates to return.
The Broncos added six players (five via picks and one via trade) during the NFL draft.
The Denver Broncos ended up with five picks in the 2023 NFL draft, along with a new tight end acquired in a trade. Broncos Country, meet the newest members of the team!
That’s a wrap on the 2023 NFL draft! Here’s a look at the Broncos’ picks.
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton have completed their first draft together, adding five players to the roster this weekend.
The Broncos entered the draft with five picks and after making several trades came away with five players. Here’s a look at the team’s picks from the 2023 NFL draft.
Broncos draft results:
Round 2: No. 63 overall: WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma Round 3: No. 67 overall: LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas Round 3: No. 83 overall: CB Riley Moss, Iowa Round 6: No. 183 overall: DB JL Skinner, Boise State Round 7: No. 257 overall: C Alex Forsyth, Oregon Trade: Tight end Adam Trautmanvia Saints
Denver did not have first- or second-round picks going into this year’s draft after trades for quarterback Russell Wilson and coach Sean Payton (they then traded into the second round on Friday). Barring another trade, the Broncos will have a first-round pick in 2024 for the first time since 2021.
After using their draft picks, Denver has room to sign 13 undrafted free agents to fill out the 90-man offseason roster. We are tracking all of the team’s UDFA signings on Broncos Wire.
The Broncos picked Boise State safety JL Skinner in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday afternoon.
The Denver Broncos selected Boise State safety JL Skinner in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday afternoon (183rd overall).
In four years as a Bronco, Skinner had 205 total tackles (including 133 solo tackles), two forced fumbles and seven interceptions.
In 2021, Skinner was named a second-team All-Mountain West Conference defender, leading Boise State with 92 tackles (seven for a loss), intercepting two passes, defending five passes, forcing two fumbles and recovering three fumbles in 12 starts.
In 2022, Skinner earned a first-team all-conference selection with four interceptions, making 65 tackles and breaking up four passes in 12 starts.
NFL.com’s Lance Zeurlein compared Skinner to the Cleveland Browns’ Ronnie Harrison, who posted 24 tackles, .5 sacks and one pass defended in 2022.
After playing for college football’s Broncos, Skinner already knows what it’s like to play in orange and blue. Skinner will be a likely backup role player to Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns in the heart of the Broncos’ defense.
With day three of the NFL Draft upon us, @TheKevinFielder looks at the best prospect fits for the Minnesota Vikings.
There’s an age-old saying that Super Bowls are built on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
The thinking behind that is built on the number of picks on Day 3 and the players that might be available. While teams select potential stars in the first round, the role players to help win teams’ games are drafted later.
The good news for the Minnesota Vikings is that they’ll have five selections on Day 3 after trading down with the San Francisco 49ers near the end of the third round.
The Vikings will first be on the clock with the 119th overall pick in the fourth round. Following the trade with the 49ers, the Vikings also have two fifth-round picks (No. 158 and 164), a sixth (No. 211), and a seventh-round selection (No. 222).
After two days of the NFL Draft, here are the best remaining fits for the Vikings.
For over a decade now, the Boise State Broncos have often been the class of the Mountain West and that caliber of performance has extended to the NFL Draft: Since entering the conference in 2011, Boise State has had at least one player selected every year.
While a few Broncos prospects could extend that streak in 2023, none are better positioned to do so than JL Skinner. A San Diego native, he made one start as a true freshman in 2019 before stepping into the starting lineup for good during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. From there, he made his mark as one of the most feared defenders anywhere in the Mountain West, shelling out hits and making big plays in equal measure while earning a second-team all-conference nod in 2021 and a first-team selection in 2022.
Unlike other positions in this year’s NFL Draft class, the safety position is relatively light on top-notch prospects, but a pre-draft injury could change how soon he hears his name. It’s not a matter of if Skinner will be selected, but when.
If you want a hitter, have I got the prospect for you. Physically speaking, there really is no other safety prospect like Skinner in this year’s draft class and that makes him an ideal candidate to handle certain responsibilities with aplomb. The Draft Network’s Damian Parson described him as a “hunter”, especially in run defense, which seems apt since Pro Football Focus marked him as having 39 stops in 2021, the most among Mountain West safeties that year, and 19 more last fall despite playing just 618 snaps (20th most).
He also demonstrated plenty of ball skills in his time as a starter for the Broncos with seven interceptions and 12 passes defended across four seasons, the by-product of an above-average wingspan and a knack for anticipation that’s mentioned by draft analysts like NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, and Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings. Add to that his willingness to play special teams and outward confidence, and you have all of the makings for someone you want on your defense.
Weaknesses
Skinner’s anticipatory skills aren’t bulletproof, however, which got him in occasional trouble with targeting over the years and led some analysts to point to a lack of fluidity as a sticking point. Cummings, for instance, noted that he “can be late diagnose play directions on runs… [and] sometimes freezes at the snap and is late to trigger downhill” while Parson and The Game Haus’s Joe DiTullio mention that man coverage could be a sore sport if he’s asked to be responsible for more wide receivers than tight ends.
In addition, the pectoral injury that he suffered in training for the draft won’t help his draft standing, though it certainly isn’t a dealbreaker by any means.
NFL Comparison
Dashon Goldson
Draft Prediction
There’s no doubt that Skinner has the on-field knowhow and physical skills to make an impact on Sundays, but it remains to be seen how his recent pectoral injury will affect when teams are inclined to pull the trigger on draft day. He isn’t the only player in this year’s draft class in this situation — Hendon Hooker and Dalton Kincaid come to mind — so I’m inclined to believe his stock won’t fall too far. Talent plays, Skinner has it, and I expect he’ll be picked sometime on Day 2, likely in the third round.
