Under-the-radar DB prospect is being compared to Cowboys' Jayron Kearse
The Dallas Cowboys will look to add some to their secondary in the NFL draft, especially at the cornerback position. It may behoove the Cowboys to also look at safety at some point with veterans Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker heading into the final year of their deals. Speaking of the former, he was named […]
The Dallas Cowboys will look to add some to their secondary in the NFL draft, especially at the cornerback position.
It may behoove the Cowboys to also look at safety at some point with veterans Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker heading into the final year of their deals. Speaking of the former, he was named the player comp for sleeper DB prospect JL Skinner out of Boise State by Pro Football Focus.
Skinner is exactly the build that the slot cornerback position is trending toward. Just don't expect much versatility.
It remains to be seen if Skinner will get the opportunity to utilize his versatility on the professional level. However, he did it immensely at Boise State.
Skinner logged 811 snaps in the box, 336 in the slot, 623 at free safety, 26 as an outside cornerback, and 28 on the defensive line for the Broncos according to PFF. That's extremely similar to what Kearse has done during his two years in Dallas with 723 snaps in the box, 385 in the slot, 357 at free safety, 81 as an outside cornerback, and 281 in the defensive line.
Skinner also matches up to Kearse in body type. The former is 6'4" and 209 pounds and the latter is 6'4" and weighs 215 pounds.
Although he's not highly sought-after, Skinner was a pretty productive player in college. He registered 51 tackles (two tackles for loss), an interception, and four pass breakups over his first two seasons at Boise State.
Skinner took up another notch during his final two campaigns. In 2021, Skinner was named a second-team All-Mountian West after tallying 92 tackles (seven tackles for loss), two interceptions, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
2022 was another solid campaign for Skinner. He logged 65 tackles (a half tackle for loss), four interceptions, and five pass breakups and earned first-team All-Mountain West honors.
Safety isn't a deep position in terms of high-profile players in this year's draft. However, with similar size and versatility as Kearse, the Cowboys may want to keep tabs on Skinner as a possible Day 3 pick
