Explain the Skoronski love to me please

[G08]

@wab He's basically a slightly less athletic Rashawn Slater (went #13 overall to the Chargers and is playing quite well at LT for them).

Slater: 6042/304/1.68-2.89-4.91/33 reps/33" vert/9'4" broad/4.45 shuttle/7.48 cone/33" arms

Skoronski: 6040/313/1.75-?-5.16/30 reps/34.5" vert/9'7" broad/no shuttle/7.80 cone/32.25" arms

But at #9?

I don't love it unless we think he's the best OL in the draft and would be the best OL on our team. Even then, I'd like him more at 16.

[G08]

@wab He's basically a slightly less athletic Rashawn Slater (went #13 overall to the Chargers and is playing quite well at LT for them).

Slater: 6042/304/1.68-2.89-4.91/33 reps/33" vert/9'4" broad/4.45 shuttle/7.48 cone/33" arms

Skoronski: 6040/313/1.75-?-5.16/30 reps/34.5" vert/9'7" broad/no shuttle/7.80 cone/32.25" arms

Who's the shortest armed LT in the league of average or better quality?

Braden Smith: 32.25" arms but he plays RT (signed a 4 year, $72.4 million extension with the Colts in 2021)

[wab]

@wab He's basically a slightly less athletic Rashawn Slater (went #13 overall to the Chargers and is playing quite well at LT for them).

Slater: 6042/304/1.68-2.89-4.91/33 reps/33" vert/9'4" broad/4.45 shuttle/7.48 cone/33" arms

Skoronski: 6040/313/1.75-?-5.16/30 reps/34.5" vert/9'7" broad/no shuttle/7.80 cone/32.25" arms

Who's the shortest armed LT in the league of average or better quality?

Skoronski would have the shortest arms of any starting NFL offensive tackle. Currently I believe it’s Bernhard Raimann.

[cblaz11]

Agreed, I don’t get the love. Solid player but he cannot play LT in the NFL. Based on his length, odd are he cannot even play RT. So we’re talking about taking a guard at 9??

Here’s the problem, Poles thinks he’s smarter then every other GM because he played oline. It shows in his approach in free agency two years in a row and I expect it to show in the draft…again. He won’t draft an olinemen until the 4th at the earliest

[RichH55]

Agreed, I don’t get the love. Solid player but he cannot play LT in the NFL. Based on his length, odd are he cannot even play RT. So we’re talking about taking a guard at 9??

Here’s the problem, Poles thinks he’s smarter then every other GM because he played oline. It shows in his approach in free agency two years in a row and I expect it to show in the draft…again. He won’t draft an olinemen until the 4th at the earliest

Why are we jumping to conclusions?

He just signed a Guard for solid money- Drafted a good LT too (and we don't even know if we maybe have another Guard from last years Draft Class)

Ultimately I have ZERO idea what they think of Jenkins. It's somewhere between he can be the long term answer at RT and this guy is a Locker Room killer and needs to be gone.

I have no idea which direction they lean

[wulfy]

I don't think he's a locker room killer - he's a young, immature kid who is looking for some reassurance/pat on the back from the FO/Coaching Staff. He's not really getting it from anyone, so he gets anxious and a) cops a bit of an attitude and b) says dumb stuff.

I don't think anyone thinks he's a locker room cancer.

[RichH55]

I don't think he's a locker room killer - he's a young, immature kid who is looking for some reassurance/pat on the back from the FO/Coaching Staff. He's not really getting it from anyone, so he gets anxious and a) cops a bit of an attitude and b) says dumb stuff.

I don't think anyone thinks he's a locker room cancer.

That's the extreme position yes. But the Staff really seemed to have to be dragged to playing him/keeping him

But it could - as you note - be as simple as he was immature and they hit the right buttons to motivate him

Or maybe he will just never ever be a good practice player - but he's good in the games (If the Coaching staff can't deal with that - that is on the Coaching staff IMHO)

[wulfy]

Or maybe he will just never ever be a good practice player - but he's good in the games (If the Coaching staff can't deal with that - that is on the Coaching staff IMHO)

I think that is taking their "must love football" mantra and making it literal.

"If you truly love football, you would love practicing and getting better."

[Arkansasbear]

When I watch the guy, he looks big, quick and nasty. Watching his play, I see no reason why we can't succeed at the NFL. Granted I"m watching clips online that likely are his highlights. But his short arms do give me some concern. He very well could end up slated as an OG. Given that I might have wiffed on Jenkins being an OT, I will defer to Poles and company. I actually think they know what they're doing. If they pass because they think he's just an OG, I bet that happens.

[Burl]

Skoronski… Grabowski…. Who cares?
Is he a blocker or not? If so, sign him up.

[Grizzled]

With that arm length, I'm sure he doesn't meet their criteria for an OT just as Kancey isn't their physical idol at 3T.

[bearsoldier]

Saw this on another mb and do not know the original source...

"Here is an insightful breakdown of Peter Skoronski’s game I recently came upon:"

Peter Skoronski - A boring but important draft pick

Top tier offensive tackles are boring draft picks. Fan bases never get excited by them and they're not viewed as franchise-changing the way quarterbacks can be.

And adding one great lineman to a bad unit as a whole generally doesn't change how good your offensive line is. You need to build an offensive line over time.

It's a weird dichotomy where everyone understands how valuable and impactful a left tackle can be, how hard they are to find and how important it is to have one, but not everybody really wants to draft one.

This year's top pick sure to disappoint on draft day is Northwestern's Peter Skoronski.

Skoronski is a prototypical high-end left tackle prospect. He ticks every box in terms of athleticism and is a refined pass blocker.
Skoronski will start from day one for whatever team that drafts him and you'll likely forget he's there for the next decade or more.

https://imgur.com/v3EwfT5


Often the difference between an elite offensive line prospect and just a decent offensive line prospect is in the weight of their feet.

Skoronski is 6'4" and 313 lbs. He's not big by tackle standards, in fact he might switch into guard because of that.

But he's also not small. So when Skoronski shifts his weight and plays on the balls of his feet the way he does in pass protection it's a sight to behold. He lines up at left tackle here and you can see how his feet keep chopping so that his chest stays square to the defender.
He is always perfectly positioned between the defender and his target.

The size aspect is seen somewhat here as the defensive end is able to corkscrew his way around the corner slowly. The quarterback is able to get the ball out and even if he didn't he would have had space to step up in the pocket, which would have completely taken the defensive end out of the play.

https://imgur.com/jvpYi9V


In the same game, we see Skoronski isolated against the defensive end at the bottom of the screen. That defender sprints upfield off the snap, but you can see how quickly Skoronski widens at the snap.

His kickout is rapid. He shifts his weight so that he never has to turn his upper body to mirror the defender. Often you'll see offensive tackles abandon their technique to stick with a speed rush. It's not something that Skoronski ever has to do.

And while he gets outside rapidly, he doesn't overplay wide positions so that he's exposed to inside moves.

https://imgur.com/m7QegOE


Against Penn State we can see that same rapid kickout speed so that the defender doesn't have an outside path into the pocket. It looks like the defender wanted to go around the edge but changed his mind after coming off the line of scrimmage because of Skoronski's positioning.

When the defender crosses his face, Skoronski easily sticks to his outside shoulder and clamps him down. The looping action from the linebacker suggests this play was possibly a designed stunt.

Skoronski shows awareness to pick up stunts, but this stunt came from too far away and the linebacker was never a threat. Skoronski handled the immediate danger as he's supposed to.

https://imgur.com/C5xUyMy


If Skoronski improves his strength a bit at the next level, his offence will be able to leave him alone in pass protection more often than not. This is a prime example of him handling a defender in space.

He kicks out with speed and balance before engaging the defender with his hands. Skoronski's hands are wide initially but he gets underneath the arms of the defender while resetting his feet.

This causes him to concede some ground but he is generating control.

The defensive end reaches a point where Skoronski has anchored and he can't get around him. The quarterback in the pocket remains untouched despite the defender attacking both of Skoronski's shoulders.

https://imgur.com/QueSgXf


And while Skoronski will benefit a lot from adding some strength, it's not like he's noticeably weak either. Against the non-freak defenders in the NFL, he should hold up just fine as he is.

On this play, the defensive end gets a good position at the beginning of the play. His hands are inside to the Skoronski's chest and the two players' helmets collide.

We can see that the defender has leverage beneath him, but Skoronski resets his back foot and anchors so that he regains his footing.

He can't drive the defender off his spot immediately, but absorbs his effort before working through the contact to drive him backwards. The defender was moving back before the running back was hit in the backfield.

It's that short movement that matters, he stops trying at that stage because the play is over but Skoronski doesn't know that so he drives him off screen.

https://imgur.com/fPlf4ZU


Skoronski doesn't stand out as a run blocker. He's an assignment blocker who locates relatively well in space and works hard through contact to continually move defenders away from the ball.

On this play, he helps to clear the defensive tackle with a double team at the line of scrimmage before advancing downfield to take out the linebacker. He stonewalls the linebacker so that the running back can escape through that space.

https://imgur.com/OJdM6Xv


Here we see an example of Skoronski showing off poor technique. He lunges forward and doesn't perfectly locate the defender across from him. This allows the defender to get to his outside shoulder.

Fortunately for Skoronski, he can recover with his athleticism and work rate. By sticking to his assignment, he drives the linebacker out of the running lane so that the running back can run through his spot.

The running back is stopped again for a short gain but that's not the fault of Skoronski.

You're not always going to have a chance at drafting a Tyron Smith-like left tackle. They come along once every 10 years or so. But every team in the league would accept an Andrew Whitworth starting at left or right tackle.

[EricTighe]

Skoronski to the 10th ranked O=lineman in this draft they are all about the same. You can get just as good in round 2. But if he fits what you wanna do then all means take him.

I personally would take Gonzales, Wilson, Porter Jr., B. RObinson, Q, Johnson or Klancey.

Yes one or more will defiantly be there when we pick at 9.

[EricTighe]

You're not always going to have a chance at drafting a Tyron Smith-like left tackle. They come along once every 10 years or so. But every team in the league would accept an Andrew Whitworth starting at left or right tackle

This I must disagree with. They are there you just have to find them. Just look at the past 3 drafts and see the OT taken in the last 3 to 4 drafts. This draft just isn't as strong for O-lineman. But next year oh momma it is going to be off the charts. There are three guys that would go before every O-lineman in this draft and that is just at tackle.

[Yogi da Bear]

Jones is better.

[Arkansasbear]

Jones is better.

Braxton or Broderick?

Or both?

There is actually a pretty long list of OT, I'd be happy with :

Skoronski - Northwestern,
Johnson - OSU,
Duncan, Maryland,
Wright, UT
Harrison, OK
B. Jones, UGA

Granted after the first 2, I don't think anyone would say take the others at 9, but as other has said, it does look like we can get great OT prospects later in the draft, so maybe they don't go OT if they stay at 9.

[Yogi da Bear]

Both.

[Grizzled]

OL coaches look at a guy's footwork primarily. Skoronski has excellent footwork, balance, and football IQ. OTs don't get beat because of having short arms.

[Yogi da Bear]

OL coaches look at a guy's footwork primarily. Skoronski has excellent footwork, balance, and football IQ. OTs don't get beat because of having short arms.

The other thing that Poles looks for in this scheme is whether the prospect has short area movement skills. Critical for getting those reach blocks in a wide zone scheme. Skoronski's 7.8 cone is pretty horrible.

[Grizzled]

OL coaches look at a guy's footwork primarily. Skoronski has excellent footwork, balance, and football IQ. OTs don't get beat because of having short arms.

The other thing that Poles looks for in this scheme is whether the prospect has short area movement skills. Critical for getting those reach blocks in a wide zone scheme. Skoronski's 7.8 cone is pretty horrible.

His pass blocking was considered the best among college OTs. His run blocking was not as strong but hardly horrible. I don't think arm length will be a factor in the draft, more that the Bears will be looking DL at 9 and OT in the 2nd/3rd.

[crueltyabc]

Ok this EXTREMELY in-depth article has me sold on his footwork as his way to overcome arm length.

https://www.insidenu.com/2022/7/29/2327 ... eft-tackle

I get it now. He’s not OT1 yet but I get it.

[Moriarty]

Ok this EXTREMELY in-depth article has me sold on his footwork as his way to overcome arm length.

https://www.insidenu.com/2022/7/29/2327 ... eft-tackle

I get it now. He’s not OT1 yet but I get it.

Keep in mind that that's a NU fan/writer writing that.
They're coming in with an agenda and a bias.

[spudbear]

The NFL channel last night had their Mock Draft v.3, with the Bears not trading and selecting Skoronski. The pundits didn't have too much to say besides the need to protect JF1.
I just don't see Poles selecting any OL that high in the draft. He seems to be a find OL value in the lower rounds guy.

[thunderspirit]

I just don't see Poles selecting any OL that high in the draft. He seems to be a find OL value in the lower rounds guy.

I don't know how anyone can say this based on just one draft.

It may well turn out to be right. I'm just not ready to jump to that conclusion.

[dplank]

I just don't see Poles selecting any OL that high in the draft. He seems to be a find OL value in the lower rounds guy.

I don't know how anyone can say this based on just one draft.

It may well turn out to be right. I'm just not ready to jump to that conclusion.

Yea, agree. He took 4 OL and hit on one of them. I would not be counting on him magically finding rookie starters in the late rounds of the draft.

[Grizzled]

Two good articles on Ski. The author of the first thinks he'd be an excellent LG and RT. Teams typically don't guys like at #9. I'm assuming at this time that Davis starts at LG and Jenkins at RG and stick a draft pick at RT. Perhaps if they trade down, pick up a higher 2nd rounder, use that 1st rounder on Ski if still available.

https://beargoggleson.com/posts/chicago ... -nfl-draft

https://beargoggleson.com/posts/chicago ... -skoronski

[The Marshall Plan]

I don't know how anyone can say this based on just one draft.

It may well turn out to be right. I'm just not ready to jump to that conclusion.

Yea, agree. He took 4 OL and hit on one of them. I would not be counting on him magically finding rookie starters in the late rounds of the draft.

See and that’s the argument I have about the draft picks.

People start rationalizing about oh well Poles has this many picks.

Ok fine, how many are the fifth round and below? At least half.

We don’t have the draft capital that we think we do. UNLESS Poles finds a taker for 9 that pays for it.

[wab]

Yea, agree. He took 4 OL and hit on one of them. I would not be counting on him magically finding rookie starters in the late rounds of the draft.

See and that’s the argument I have about the draft picks.

People start rationalizing about oh well Poles has this many picks.

Ok fine, how many are the fifth round and below? At least half.

We don’t have the draft capital that we think we do. UNLESS Poles finds a taker for 9 that pays for it.

Eh, the Bears have 10 picks. 4 of those are in the first 3 rounds. (6 before round 5).

[LacertineForest]

I just don't see Poles selecting any OL that high in the draft. He seems to be a find OL value in the lower rounds guy.

I don't know how anyone can say this based on just one draft.

It may well turn out to be right. I'm just not ready to jump to that conclusion.

I think you can make some inferences based on his time in KC - they drafted just a few OL in the first 3 rounds of the last six years (and Eric Fisher at #1 in 2013 is the only time they've taken one in the first round in Poles' entire tenure with them). If you think Poles shares a lot of that philosophy, then I think you can pair that with last year's draft and the two years of free agency to form an opinion. I think it's all based on gut feeling and speculation.

[grendel2000]

I'm sorry but if I'm the GM there is no F'n way I'm taking the maxed out Toyota Camry of offensive linemen at #9.

I mean, YES - it may be super dependable for many many years, and YES - it may be quite nice to have, but with a pick in the top 10 you HAVE TO be aiming for someone who is a game changer. You just almost never get top ten picks, and the cost to get one is HUGE, so you have to pick a player that's SPECIAL.

I like the kid but NO F'N WAY I take him at #9.