Peter Skoronski - OT? - Northwestern
Tackle or guard?
Peter Skoronski was the top tackle in college football last year, but I don’t think he’s a tackle.
At 6’4 and possessing 32 1/4 inch arms, Skoronski just doesn’t have the length needed to play the position, and I think it shows on tape.
There were several reps in the Iowa game alone where guys were able to get into his frame and he wasn’t really able to do much about it.
Good edge rushers will be able to get hands on first when they play Skoronski. That’s just the reality of the situation. The list of NFL tackle prospects with arms less than 33 inches is a short one, and most of the good players on it ended up playing guard in the NFL.
Justin Pugh - 32” = NFL Guard
Brady Christianson - 32 1/4” = NFL Guard
Alex Cappa - 32 5/8” = NFL Guard
The biggest tackle success story of the group is Kaleb McGary, who didn’t earn a second contract with the Falcons.
Why do guards tend to have shorter arms? I think it mostly has to do with the types of players they block.
Defensive tackles are thicker, they have a lower center of gravity, and they’re stronger. A more compact frame with shorter arms isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you’re blocking guys like that. Short armed players usually have more raw strength, just look at how guys with long arms do on the bench press vs guys with short arms.
But out on the edge, guys are trying to convert speed to power and can take a couple steps to build up speed. It’s over in a second if you let an edge into your frame, they just have too much force. Tackles tend to live out in space on an island. A longer reach is more important than it is over in the trenches.
Skoronski has a better chance to be an elite guard than an elite tackle. And that’s okay.
So let’s look at some other parts of his game.
My favorite part of Skoronski’s game is his balance and his bendiness.
The short arms get him here as George Karlaftis is able to initially create a ton of knockback on the bull rush, but Skoronski is able to survive by hopping backwards, staggering his feet to brace himself, bending his knees and upper body, and absorbing the initial impact. It was looking dicey to begin with, but Skoronski wins this rep vs a
Skoronski also has great foot speed and is able to change directions and recover in the middle of the play. This trait separates him from fellow guard prospect O’Cyrus Torrence, who I love but his feet aren’t nearly this good.
On this play the Wisconsin linebacker does a good job dodging Skoronski’s intial contact, but Skoronski is able to quickly pirouette and drive the player back towards the line of scrimmage.
Here Karlaftis gets into his chest again, but it’s almost surreal to see how quickly Skoronski is able to reset his feet and change direction, pushing Karlaftis harmlessly upfield. When he wins, he wins. When he loses, he oftentimes still wins anyway.
His quick footwork helps him stay connected in the passing game, and also gives him a very high ceiling as a run defender. He can quickly cross the face of a defender because he’s explosive out of his stance, sealing off lanes. He can quickly climb to the second level to cut off linebackers.
Here he stay low and pushes the defensive tackle’s hip on a combo block, which is the proper aiming point that creates a lot of displacement. He’s fluidly able to come off the block and take the linebacker, and it creates a big play for the RB.
Skoronski’s agility also makes him an effective player vs stunts, quickly recognizing that they’re coming and adjusting his body accordingly.
His hands are okay, I do think the placement is usually good, but I think his timing can be a bit late sometimes. This makes sense because he doesn’t have the arm length to really punch early and reach guys, but I do think it could be a tick earlier.
Overall, I do see the vision on him as a player, but the late punches and short arms do mean that he loses on first contact pretty frequently. On a lot of his wins, he’s winning late, and although he does stay in front of his man, the pocket collapses.
As a guard, I do worry about him vs the elite power rushers. Even if he’s not allowing sacks, I think the middle of the pocket could collapse with him in protection early in his career. As a tackle he has more room to hop backwards and eventually find his footing, as a guard those plays will mean the QB can’t step up. He doesn’t have the same power in his hands that a guy like Torrence does.
Different schemes will value these guys differently. If I was a team running a ton of zone and had a QB who was more comfortable throwing off his spot, I’d want Skoronski. If I was a power running team with a pocket passer QB who needed to step up all the time, I’d value Torrence.
It’s weird because I think I like Torrence more as a player, but Skoronski might fit better in the modern NFL. Both are first round picks at guard.
Grade: 6.4 - Future Good Starter - Late 1st Round.
Where I’d like to see him
Atlanta Falcons: No teams runs as much zone as the Atlanta Falcons, and like I mentioned earlier, they were starting the shortest-armed tackle in the league the last few years in Kaleb McGary. Skoronski seems like the sort of player they’d be very comfortable with.
Chicago Bears: Skoronski has the balance and footwork to sustain blocks for long periods of time, which is what you need when you’re protecting a guy like Justin Fields. Like the Falcons, Chicago is also a very zone-based scheme, and Skoronski has the explosiveness to consistently reach guys. He could be a good target if they trade back.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers want to control the ball on the ground but just don’t quite have the offensive line to do it. Another zone heavy team, the Steelers are in desperate need for upgrades on the left side of the line.
I would love for him to come to Atlanta to replace McGary or slide to left guard