Cleveland Browns draft profiles: JL Skinner, S, Boise State

The Cleveland Browns defense is lacking a true free safety and JL Skinner of Boise State would fill that role for the team in 2023.

The Cleveland Browns have lacked a true free safety on the team for the majority of the time Kevin Stefanski has been the head coach. It has been a major problem this season as the defense has been beaten deep routinely. The team needs a deep center fielder in their secondary and JL Skinner might be the perfect prospect to fill that role.

Skinner has great size for the position at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds with great length and ball skills to make plays on the football. Skinner is a perfect deep safety with a high football IQ to diagnose plays quickly and long strides to make up ground in a hurry. He tracks the football well in the air and provides great help over the top to help eliminate explosive plays over the top.

This season for Boise State, Skinner has four interceptions after having two during the 2021 campaign. Skinner doesn’t just make plays in the passing he crashes downhill quickly in the running game and isn’t afraid of contact. When you watch highlights you will see plenty of big hits and his speed to make a play to crash down and make a big tackle against the run.

The biggest concern with Skinner is the jump in competition from the Moutain West Conference to the NFL but he has all the traits and football IQ to be a good player in the pros.

He should be around in the second and if so, the Browns would be wise to bring him in as they look to shore up their struggling secondary.