My Two Cents: Titans Stand Pat, Make Safe Choice with OL Peter Skoronski

The Tennessee Titans could have made a big splash by moving up during the first round of the NFL draft, but they wound up picking at No. 11 after all. They took offensive lineman Peter Skoronski from Northwestern, which isn't a bright-light pick, but it certainly fills a big need with a football lifer.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There's a lot of flash-and-dash that makes the NFL draft so much fun. All the rumors and trades are so cool, and the quarterbacks and skill position folks get everyone so excited.

For the Tennessee Titans, they started the day with the No. 11 pick and — despite a day full of move-up rumors for a quarterback — they picked at No. 11 after all.

And took an offensive lineman. Their pick was Northwestern tackle Peter Skoronski, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound standout from Park Ridge, Ill.

A sagacious old football coach once had the greatest line ever when it came to making the boring — but much need-filling — pick of an offensive lineman over a speedy headline-maker.

"I'm not taking my Lamborghini to Home Depot to get lumber. I'm taking my damn pick-up truck.''

So, so true.

The Titans, a team in transition with many, many needs, could have taken a quarterback or a wide receiver at No. 11. Two guys that a lot of people like — Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba — were still on the board.

But they have a big need on the offensive line, too, and they fixed it with one of the most highly regarded linemen in this draft.

Skoronski was the Big Ten's top offensive lineman in 2022 at left tackle, and was a very good player on a bad team. Skoronski was graded as one of the top pass-protectors in the country by Pro Football Focus, with a 93.0 pass-blocking grade, after allowing only six pressures on 474 pass-blocking snaps.

According to Pro Football Focus, his 79.1 run-blocking grade also ranks fifth among all qualifying Power 5 tackles.

That's all good. What's also nice is he's capable of playing anywhere along the offensive line. He played both tackle spots at Northwestern, and has the body and skill set to play guard in the NFL.

Skoronski was born and raised in a football family. His grandfather, Bob Skoronski, played offensive line for Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers for nine years, winning five NFL championships, including Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II.

After an outstanding college career at Indiana — he was voted their most valuable player in 1955 — Skoronski played in Green Bay from 1956 to 1968. He missed two seasons (1957-58) to serve in the Air Force, and when he returned in 1959, Vince Lombardi was his new head coach.

 Skoronski adored his grandfather, who passed away in 2018 at age 84. Skoronski didn't attend the draft in Kansas City like most first-rounders, instead choosing to celebrate his big night with family at a local pizzeria.

But he came to Kansas City earlier this month and visited the nearby Whiteman Air Force Base.

Family means everything to him, and he takes a lot of pride in his grandfather's military service.  

"He’s just been the person that I looked up to my whole life and always have wanted to follow his footsteps," Skoronski told USA Today Sports. "So that’s sort of been my motivating factor in my football journey and is sort of what pushed me to get here. 

"So honoring his legacy is tremendously important for me. Definitely doing that on the field and with football, but also with stuff like this and giving back and showing appreciation to our military, which I know meant a lot to him too."

Bob Skoronski (76) won five NFL championships while playing for the Green Bay Packers. His grandson, Peter Skoronski, was the first-round pick of the Titans on Thursday night in the 2023 NFL Draft. (USA TODAY Sports)

Skoronski is one of those guys who's made a great impression during his college career. He's one of those football lifers, too, growing up in the game. He's got his grandfather to idolize and emulate, too, which is something special.

The Titans would love to have a dozen years out of him, too, just like his grandfather. And those five NFL titles? Well, that might be a pipe dream, but at least we know this.

They got themselves a very good football player. 

And that was the goal all along, right?

Related stories on Titans draft

• SKORONSKI GOES TO TITANS: The Tennessee Titans use their first pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Peter Skoronski, offensive lineman out of Northwestern. CLICK HERE
• LIVE BLOG: The 2023 NFL Draft begins shortly, and you can follow our AllTitans.com staff here for live updates, comments, and quotes throughout Thursday night's first round in real time. CLICK HERE
• PHOTO GALLERY: The 2023 NFL Draft red carpet was hot with the NFL's top prospects dressed to the nines as they gathered to see how the first-round chips would fall this evening. Who wore their outfit the best? Check out our photo gallery. CLICK HERE