JL Skinner did himself a ton of favors going to the Senior Bowl, being one of the biggest surprises in my opinion out of all of the players there. He has a rare frame for a safety and a skillset that translates well to the next level. Interest in Skinner was apparent across the league as most teams consider him to be the top safety in this class. 

The upside to Skinner’s game is just getting him to tackle better and build up his strength. Skinner could be such a great defender in space if he’d be as aggressive in space as he is in man coverage. He shows so much promise as a guy who can be instinctive and diagnose plays quickly, and with his frame he has a chance to be truly special. 

JL Skinner does a good job patiently reading and flowing to the football. Playing as the high-safety, he tracks the ball carrier as he reverses course.

The speed to hawk him down is wild! pic.twitter.com/Ik6xtWkMbv

— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) June 15, 2022

Skinner missed week 1 in 2022 with an injury. Missed the Bowl game in 2022 with an injury. Suffered a pec injury while prepping for the Combine that forced him to miss pre-draft workouts. 

JL Skinner’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (35)

Speed/Athleticism: 15 

• Speed (5.5/7) – Speed is good, not great. Might not have a top gear like some players but he can stay with it for a long time, excellent motor. 
• Lateral Quickness (3/4) – Good lateral quickness. Moves fluid and very well. 
• Body Control (3.5/4) – Shows solid body control as a defender. Natural receiver. 

Strength: 10

• Upper Body Strength (2.5/5) – Upper body strength may be lacking a bit. Doesn’t show a lot of control on tackles. 
• Lower Body Strength (3.5/5) – Fairly explosive frame who can get up to speed relatively quickly.  

Hip Flexibility: 5

• Change of Direction (3.5/5) – Change of direction is good, not great. Can flip his hips well enough to be effective. 

Defending Ability (40)

Tackling/Pursuit: 15

• Tackling Ability (6/8) – Good wrap up tackler. Works well down into the box. Willing tackler who wants to be involved and fill run gaps. 
• Pursuit Angles (5/7) – Pursuit angles are typically good. When he is having to pursue with a more upfield angle, I think that there are issues. 

Blitz Ability: 5

• Timing (2/5) – Wasn’t asked to blitz often at all. Doesn’t appear to have much ability doing that. 

Coverage Ability: 20

• Zone Coverage (8/10) – Plays well in zone coverage, though I’d like him to be more reactive to the football. I like his recognition ability to shift away from his zone when he needs to. Ball hawk – 7 career interceptions, including 4 last season.  
• Man Coverage (3.5/5) – Showed the ability to play man coverage at the Senior Bowl. Better than most safeties. Positions well and plays through the catch point. 
• Space Defending (3/5) – Could be a solid space defender if he’d work on closing faster. Tends to sit and wait instead of being aggressive and coming up to make the tackle. 

Intel/Instincts (20)

Instincts: 15

• Pure Instincts (8/10) – Fairly instinctive player. Feels where the play is going well and positions himself to make an impact.  
• Consistency (4/5) – Fairly consistent. Knows how to be at the right place at the right time. 

Football IQ: 10

• Play Recognition (8/10) – Play recognition is pretty good. Does a good job feeling the play and moving to impact it in some way. Can feel schemes as they are happening and react to take plays away effectively. 

Overall: (78) – 2nd/3rd Round