Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski declares for 2023 NFL Draft

After three years of dominant play in the Big Ten, Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski announced on Twitter that he would forgo his senior year of eligibility to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. Skoronski is widely considered the best offensive lineman in the coming draft.

Skoronski was a rare five-star signee for the Wildcats, becoming their highest-rated recruit since outside linebacker Ifeadi Odenigbo signed in 2012. The two-way athlete out of Maine South HS in Park Ridge, Illinois, chose to stay close to home, going to college a mere 30-minute drive away.

Skoronski made an immediate impact in Evanston, starting all eight games of the COVID-shortened season as a true freshman and earning All-Big Ten Second-Team honors. He followed it up with 13 starts as a sophomore with All-Big Ten First-Team honors and a bowl game win over Kentucky. In his final year, the dismal Wildcats may have gone 1-11, winning only an opening-week matchup in Dublin against the Cornhuskers, but Skoronski delivered on preseason predictions, earning AP All-American First-Team honors as a junior.

Skoronski may find himself susceptible to much of the same criticism as his former teammate, and first-round pick from last year, Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater. Slater fell victim to criticism that his 33-inch arms were too short for him to be a successful NFL tackle. Lo and behold, Skoronski’s arm length is reportedly almost an inch shorter. Regardless, while Skoronski could easily dominate as a guard at the next level, NFL teams would be foolish not to give him an opportunity at tackle. Skoronski is college football’s most dominant pass blocker this year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), allowing only five pressures on 383 snaps in pass-protection.

Skoronski isn’t the first of his family to realize NFL dreams. His grandfather, Bob Skoronski, was an offensive tackle for the Packers who served as the team’s offensive captain in five of the team’s NFL championships and two of the team’s Super Bowl victories. The elder Skoronski was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame after 11 seasons of play in Green Bay.

The younger Skoronski is a consensus top-10 pick in this year’s draft. While there is a little bit of argument for Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson, Skoronski is widely considered the top draft-eligible offensive lineman in this year’s crop. When ESPN put together a group of analysts to rank each position group, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both listed Skoronski as the top tackle over Johnson, while Jordan Reid and Matt Miller favored Johnson. Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus both sided with Kiper and McShay in their most recent prospect rankings.

Skoronski is almost guaranteed to join Slater as a first-round selection out of Northwestern this April. With only one win this season, the Wildcats don’t have a bowl game for Skoronski to opt out of, but he will have the NFL combine and Northwestern’s pro day to convince scouts to move him even further up their draft boards.