Boise State safety Skinner knocks off rust in hot, cold showing at Senior Bowl practice

The Boise State football team has sent at least 16 players to the Senior Bowl since 2002, and 15 of them went on to hear their names called in the NFL Draft.

The only former Bronco who accepted an invitation to the all-star game in Mobile, Alabama, during that span and didn’t get drafted was quarterback Kellen Moore, who was named the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator on Monday.

Boise State safety JL Skinner is in Mobile trying to improve his draft stock, but he’s had mixed results so far in practice, according to media reports. He did, however, do enough that he was voted the National Team’s practice player of the week by the team’s tight ends and wide receivers, Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy announced on Friday.

Skinner will have a chance to further show what he can do in the Senior Bowl game on Saturday (12:30 p.m. Mountain time, NFL Network).

Scouts and media members in attendance have been impressed with Skinner’s size and physicality. That should come as no surprise to Boise State fans, who watched the 6-foot-4, 220-pound native of San Diego tower over the competition and deliver punishing hits the past four years.

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One of Skinner’s most bone-jarring hits drew an empathetic reaction from a home crowd at Albertsons Stadium during a game against Oklahoma State in 2021 and left wide receiver Brennan Presley on the ground trying to collect himself long after the whistle blew.

Skinner has been hitting the weight room since the season ended. He looks a few pounds heavier than the 218 he was listed at on the Broncos’ online roster, and he’s shown a willingness to get physical, especially against the run.

He ran through a block to track a running back down behind the line of scrimmage on Wednesday, and he has been physical when jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Skinner has struggled this week against the pass, though. He’s been slow to flip his hips in man-coverage situations, according to a report from SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta.

On Thursday, Nebraska wide receiver Trey Palmer blew past Skinner in a one-on-one drill and hauled in a deep pass.

Skinner’s coverage skills grew by leaps and bounds the past two years. He hauled in a career-high four interceptions last season, two of which sealed the Broncos’ 20-17 win at Wyoming.

The two-time All-Mountain West pick has always shown that he’s a willing tackler. He led Boise State with 92 in 2021 and finished his college career with 208 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and seven interceptions.

There has been some rust for him to knock off this week. Skinner suffered an injury that kept him out of the Broncos’ Frisco Bowl victory over North Texas in December and he said rehab complicated his training regimen, according to an interview he did on a podcast Thursday.

“I haven’t been on the field at all,” Skinner said. “So being out here and just being able to compete, run around and actually play football again has been a blessing that I’m grateful for.”

Skinner is projected by most analysts to come off the board in the second or third rounds of the NFL Draft, which will be held April 27-29. Boise State has had at least one player drafted 13 years in a row. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir was picked in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills last year.

Broncos at the Senior Bowl

2002: OL Matt Hill

2006: OL Daryn Colledge

2010: CB Kyle Wilson

2011: WR Austin Pettis; WR Titus Young

2012: S George Iloka; RB Doug Martin; DL Shea McClellin; QB Kellen Moore; DL Billy Winn

2013: CB Jamar Taylor

2016: S Darian Thompson

2018: WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.

2021: TE John Bates

2022: WR Khalil Shakir*

2023: S JL Skinner

*Didn’t play in Senior Bowl game