No. 3 on the BNN most important players list for Boise State football in 2022: Safety JL Skinner

Bronco Nation News is counting down the 25 most important players to the Boise State football team in 2022. Next up in our series is No. 3, safety JL Skinner:

Safety JL Skinner could have been in an NFL camp this summer preparing for his rookie season. Instead he’s back at Boise State – and hoping to make the most of it.

Skinner elected to return for his senior season with the Broncos instead of an early exit for the NFL. And now that he’s back, he’s hoping to help the Broncos win a Mountain West Championship and improve his NFL Draft stock in the process.

Skinner led the Broncos with 92 tackles last season and tied for second with seven tackles-for-loss. He also tied for second on the team with two interceptions, tied for second with five pass break-ups, tied for second with two forced fumbles and had a team-high three fumble recoveries. He was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Skinner has started 18 games the past two seasons and enters his third year as a starter in 2022. He’s played in 32 career games since debuting as a freshman in 2019 and is one of the more experienced players on the team.

One area Skinner needs to improve? Making sure his hits are legal. He was twice ejected for targeting last season and a had a third targeting call rescinded after video review.

Skinner has a chance to be a high draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but needs a monster senior season to do it. The Broncos also are counting on him to be the best player on defense, which is why he checks in at No. 3 on our list of the 25 most important players to the Broncos in 2022.

Watch B.J. Rains and John Mallory discuss JL Skinner at No. 3 on our list. The discussion starts at the 22:10 mark: