Now that the 2022 college football season is over, it’s time to start taking a closer look at some of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class.
Next up, we have Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski.
- Big board rank: 6
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 315 pounds
Stat to know: 93.0 pass-blocking grade this season led the country.
NFL role: Peter Skoronski dominated at Northwestern since stepping foot on campus three years ago. He never recorded a PFF season grade below 81.0 and improved every single year, especially in pass protection.
As a true freshman, Skoronski earned a 71.0 pass-blocking grade, a mark that he boosted to 93.0 this past season as a junior. That figure ranked first in college football among all offensive tackles. He is by far the best tackle in the country after putting together one of the top seasons of the PFF era. We project him to be a day-one starter in the NFL and to slide in at left tackle. Skoronski's future quarterback will be lucky to have him protecting him on the edge, as he allowed only six pressures and one sack all season long.
Peter Skoronski making defenders disappear…. pic.twitter.com/pDDQAl5uKK
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) August 27, 2022
Highest-graded game: Week 3 vs. Southern Illinois (91.7)
Skoronski was nearly perfect in this game, both as a pass blocker and a run blocker. He finished with an 89.3 run-blocking grade — his highest in a game all season. He also allowed zero pressures, which earned him a perfect pass-blocking efficiency percentage. Sure, it was against FCS Southern Illinois’ defense, but this is the type of performance you expect to see from a future top-10 pick.
Lowest-graded game: Week 10 vs. Ohio State (58.4)
The grade depicts a worse game than it truly was for Skoronski. And it came against Ohio State, one of the best teams in the country. Multiple Buckeyes pass rushers will be playing on Sundays in the future, so this was a good test for Skoronski. He still allowed only one pressure — a hurry on the quarterback — which is stellar for most offensive tackles. However, it was his run blocking that negatively affected him in this one. Skoronski posted a 54.3 grade in that area, which was his second lowest of the season.
What he does well: Skoronski was a man among boys in college this year. He’s by far the best and most pro-ready tackle in the country. Left tackle should be his primary position, as that is where he spent all of his snaps this season at Northwestern. Skoronski even held his own against Ohio State’s talented edge rushers, allowing only one pressure in that game. That’s the best team he’s faced all year, and he still earned a 79.0 pass-blocking grade.
Skoronski is too athletic and physical for most defensive ends at the college level. It was just too hard to get around the guy. He has excellent technique and footwork to go along with great hands. Some think he may move to guard at the next level, but his pass protection seems too valuable to move him to the interior. Simply put, Skoronski is one of the best offensive line prospects we’ve seen in the past decade.
Peter Skoronski is just one of those guys that feels destined to be a Chicago Bear.
He’s the best pass blocking tackle prospect in the past nine years and is exactly the piece this team needs to take the next step.
If he’s available when they pick, the choice should be obvious. pic.twitter.com/ixTk0Wgo3z
— Ryan Burke (@RyanDBNB) November 14, 2022
What he needs to improve: Skoronski has small arms for an offensive tackle, which will certainly be a knock on his resume. There's not much he can do about that, but it wasn't an issue for him in college. It may be something he has to overcome at the next level against better competition. But given his elite footwork and athleticism, he should be able to.
Skoronski can also improve his run blocking. Even though pass blocking is more important in the NFL, you still don’t want to have a weakness on the edge during a run play. He had four games during the 2022-23 season where he graded out lower than 57.0 in run blocking.
Arm length will push Peter Skoronski inside to G/C for several NFL teams. But the tape shows a blocker with the talent to potentially overcome his lack of length at LT.
A dozen NFL prospect outliers who might be the exceptions: https://t.co/Ak3grlcuui pic.twitter.com/9JFjjhCDm4
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 28, 2022
Best NFL traits: Great hands, footwork, athleticism, physicality
Best NFL fits: Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders
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