Peter Skoronski 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Name: Peter Skoronski
Position: Offensive Lineman
School: Northwestern
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 313 lbs
Games watched: vs. Penn State (2022), vs. Duke (2022), vs. Wisconsin (2022), vs. Ohio State (2022), vs. Purdue (2021), vs. Michigan (2021)

He has the physical skill, technique and experience to be an elite tackle prospect, but Peter Skoronski will inevitably draw criticism for his below-average length. NFL offensive tackle have an average arm length around 34 inches. Skoronski measured in with 32.25-inch arms at the scouting combine last month. That is three-quarters of an inch shorter than his former teammate Rashawn Slater. It raises questions about his ability to play the position at the NFL level.

Skoronski was originally recruited as a center when he was coming out of high school, but he never actually played the position for Northwestern. With Slater opting out of the 2020 season, he started at left tackle as a true freshman and never gave the position up. Over the past three years, he faced top talent in the Big Ten, including Aidan Hutchinson, George Karlaftis and Zach Harrison. He has good moments on tape against each of them. He is a talented run blocker with room to improve in the passing game.

Pros

Skoronski is an elite run blocker. He can fit into a variety of schemes thanks to his movement skills and strong base. He finishes blocks well and shows the ability to reach the second level. While he does not do it too often, he can be an asset as a pulling blocker and he does well getting out to block for screen plays. His hand usage is impressive and his footwork is fairly clean. I was really impressed with his ability to flip his hips to seal off defenders in the run game and he clearly understands angles of attack. He handles bullrushes well for the most part. He also does an excellent job handling stunts from the defensive line, passing off pass rushers and getting himself into position to take his next assignment.

Cons

The biggest knock on Skoronski is his below average arm length. It is an uncontrollable, but length is vitally important to playing tackle at the NFL level. It contributes to his struggles against speed rushers. He got beat around the outside by speed moves too often for my liking. For as impressive as he looked in the run game, Skoronski will whiff on blocks on occasion. It is usually a product of him dropping his head and not seeing what he is hitting. His hand usage is good, but he does not have the heavy hands you are used to seeing from tackles at the pro level. He has some room to clean up his footwork in pass protection as well.

Synopsis

While some will want Skoronski to play guard right away, I think his technique and athleticism could be enough to overcome the lack of ideal length. His tape is impressive enough for me to at least give him a shot at playing tackle. He will need some help when facing bendy speed rushers like Von Miller and Maxx Crosby. However, he will be an asset in the run and screen game immediately. He is a fairly polished tackle who could slot inside at guard and excel as well if needed.

Ideal scheme fit: Zone run, RPO-heavy offense or West Coast offense

Grade: 87.5

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