An article in The Athletic today about players who are "outliers", with physical characteristics which are out of the norm for their position. Here is the take on Peter:
Ideally, NFL teams are looking for 34-plus inches in terms of arm length for offensive tackles (with a minimum of 33 inches).
Mitchell Schwartz and Joe Staley both had 33 1/2-inch arms and were Pro Bowlers. There was plenty of debate surrounding Rashawn Slater (Skoronski’s former teammate) in the 2021 NFL Draft because of his 33-inch arms, but he earned All-Pro status at left tackle as a rookie. However, it is rare to see an offensive tackle with sub-33-inch arms become a high-level NFL tackle. For many teams, that calls for an automatic move to guard or center.
NFL area scouts who have visited Northwestern this fall believe Skoronski’s arms will measure between 32 and 32 1/2 inches at the Scouting Combine in February.
Why might he be an exception?
In studying him over the summer, I was on board with Skoronski following the Zack Martin path as a college left tackle who ultimately moved inside to guard (Martin had 32 7/8-inch arms). However, Skoronski is giving NFL teams reason to believe he should stay outside.
As both a pass blocker and run blocker, Skoronski explodes out of his stance with control to gain the upper hand on defenders. He has vice grips for hands and rarely misfires with his punch. And even when defenders get into his body, Skoronski can sit down and anchor against power. His processing is extremely impressive and allows him to play fast and cover up any deficiencies.
In 311 pass-blocking snaps through seven games, Skoronski has allowed zero sacks and only three pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. No other tackle in college football (with at least 300 snaps) has three or fewer pressures allowed.
While I still believe Skoronski could be an outstanding NFL guard, I am grading him as an offensive tackle and would like to see him get a chance on the outside.
theathletic.com
Peter Skoronski, LT, Northwestern*
What makes him an outlier?Ideally, NFL teams are looking for 34-plus inches in terms of arm length for offensive tackles (with a minimum of 33 inches).
Mitchell Schwartz and Joe Staley both had 33 1/2-inch arms and were Pro Bowlers. There was plenty of debate surrounding Rashawn Slater (Skoronski’s former teammate) in the 2021 NFL Draft because of his 33-inch arms, but he earned All-Pro status at left tackle as a rookie. However, it is rare to see an offensive tackle with sub-33-inch arms become a high-level NFL tackle. For many teams, that calls for an automatic move to guard or center.
NFL area scouts who have visited Northwestern this fall believe Skoronski’s arms will measure between 32 and 32 1/2 inches at the Scouting Combine in February.
Why might he be an exception?
In studying him over the summer, I was on board with Skoronski following the Zack Martin path as a college left tackle who ultimately moved inside to guard (Martin had 32 7/8-inch arms). However, Skoronski is giving NFL teams reason to believe he should stay outside.
As both a pass blocker and run blocker, Skoronski explodes out of his stance with control to gain the upper hand on defenders. He has vice grips for hands and rarely misfires with his punch. And even when defenders get into his body, Skoronski can sit down and anchor against power. His processing is extremely impressive and allows him to play fast and cover up any deficiencies.
In 311 pass-blocking snaps through seven games, Skoronski has allowed zero sacks and only three pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. No other tackle in college football (with at least 300 snaps) has three or fewer pressures allowed.
While I still believe Skoronski could be an outstanding NFL guard, I am grading him as an offensive tackle and would like to see him get a chance on the outside.
NFL Draft Watch: Bryce Young, Deuce Vaughn and other 'outliers' in the 2023 class
Several 2023 NFL Draft prospects, including a pair of Heisman contenders from the SEC, will be trying to buck trends at the next level.
theathletic.com
