Broncos add a Bronco with their sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
Apr 29, 2023, 1:58 PM
The Broncos continued to add depth on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft. They didn’t have pick in the fourth or fifth round, having to wait until early in the sixth to finally make a pick, turning in a card at No. 183.
With that selection, Denver selected J.L. Skinner, a safety out of Boise State.
JL Skinner can lay the BOOM 😳
Skinner led Boise State in interceptions last season with 4 and allowed a 40.1 passer rating.
Skinner is currently projected to be taken within rounds two and three of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/UmGrorpEIw
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) March 22, 2023
Skinner checks in at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. Here’s how NFL.com summed him up as a draft prospect:
Skinner told The Athletic in 2020 that his two-lettered moniker “doesn’t stand for anything,” and that his father and grandfather also went by “JL.” The former star performer at Point Loma High School in San Diego started once in his true freshman season for the Broncos, playing in all 14 games (14 tackles, three pass breakups). He started six times in 2020 (37 tackles, 1.5 for loss, one interception) and then made his name as a second-team All-Mountain West Conference defender in 2021, leading his squad with 92 tackles (seven for loss). He also intercepted two passes, broke up five others, forced two fumbles and recovered three in 12 starts. Skinner was a first-team all-conference selection in 2022, leading the Broncos with four interceptions while also posting 65 tackles and four pass breakups in 12 starts. Skinner participated in Reese’s Senior Bowl practices but missed the game after the death of an aunt. He suffered a torn pectoral while working out in February, which prevented him from working out at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Skinner joins a safety group that includes Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns. There’s also been recent rumors that the Broncos are interested in bringing back veteran Kareem Jackson for another season.
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