Round 7 Pick 249 WR Ben Skowronek
PostPosted:3 years 7 months ago
BEN SKOWRONEK | Notre Dame 6027 | 220 lbs. | rSR. Fort Wayne, Ind. (Homestead) 6/27/1997 (age 23.84)
BACKGROUND: Bennett “Ben” Skowronek grew up in Fort Wayne and started playing youth football at nine years old, lining up at quarterback, running back and several other positions. He was a two-sport letterman at Homestead High School, playing wide receiver on offense and safety on defense. After spending his first year on the freshman team, Skowronek joined the varsity as a sophomore and earned First Team All-Conference honors three consecutive years. He finished his prep career with 133 catches for 2,181 yards and 26 touchdowns, adding 52 tackles and three interceptions on defense. As a senior, Skowronek was a captain and earned All-State honors, leading Homestead to the 2015 6A Sectional Championship. He played two seasons on the basketball team and helped Homestead to the 4A state championship as a junior (didn’t play as a senior). A three-star recruit out of high school, Skowronek was the No. 118 wide receiver in the class and the No. 11 recruit in the state of Indiana. He collected a dozen scholarship offers, including several from Power 5 programs including Boston College, Iowa and Northwestern. He chose the Wildcats partly because that is where his cousin (QB TJ Green) planned to play. After four seasons at Northwestern, Skowronek graduated with his degree in communications and transferred to Notre Dame for his final season of eligibility. His older brother (Matt) was a walk-on safety at Indiana (2013-14). His uncle (Trent Green) was an NFL quarterback for 16 seasons,
earning two Pro Bowl nods. Skowronek accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2016: (13/0) 8 70 8.8 0 Northwestern
2017: (13/13) 45 644 14.3 5 Northwestern; Led team in receiving
2018: (14/14) 45 562 12.5 3 Northwestern
2019: (3/3) 12 141 11.8 0 Northwestern; Team captain; Missed most of the season due to an ankle injury and redshirted
2020: (10/10) 29 439 15.1 5 Notre Dame; Rush TD; Missed two games due to injury; Led team in receiving TDs
Total: (53/40) 139 1,856 13.4 13
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE N/A (Combine canceled)
PRO DAY 6027 220 33 1/4 10 1/8 78 1/8 - - - - - - - 13 (no workout – right foot)
STRENGTHS: Big-bodied target with length…long-strider and carries his speed well…large, strong hands to snatch the ball and put it away (29 catches on 31 catchable targets in 2020)…excellent leaping skills and timing, making him one of the better high-pointing targets in this class…coordinated with his route movements, sinking his weight at the stem…plays with physicality within the route and won’t allow defenders to punk him…takes pride in the dirty work and loves to bounce cornerbacks around the field as a blocker…experienced on special teams coverages…offers versatility along the formation due to his size and blocking skills.
WEAKNESSES: Sluggish feet within his releases and routes…takes too long to gather and is inefficient in/out of breaks, struggling to maintain separation…physical vs. press, but has a tough time uncovering underneath…can be baited into extra contact with defenders…holds the ball too loose, leading to fumble opportunities for the defense…turns 24 years old before his first NFL training camp…durability is a red flag, suffering an ankle injury (September 2019) that required tightrope surgery and ended his 2019 season; missed the first two games of his senior season due to a hamstring strain (September 2020); suffered a jones fracture in his right foot during Senior Bowl practices (January 2021).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Notre Dame, Skowronek quickly found a role in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ scheme, lining up across the formation. A grad transfer from Northwestern, he was held back by injury and COVID, but his target share increased throughout the 2020 season, leading the Irish in touchdown grabs. When he creates separation, he struggles to keep it very long, but Skowronek has outstanding hand strength and highpointing skills to play through contact, especially in the red zone. As a blocker, he is an asset in the run game, mixing it up and washing defenders to spring chunk plays. Overall, Skowronek allows defensive backs to stay on top of him, but his catch radius and competitive chops will give him a chance at sticking on an NFL roster. He projects as a back-end receiver or tight end who will make an impact on special teams.
GRADE: 6th-7th Round
BACKGROUND: Bennett “Ben” Skowronek grew up in Fort Wayne and started playing youth football at nine years old, lining up at quarterback, running back and several other positions. He was a two-sport letterman at Homestead High School, playing wide receiver on offense and safety on defense. After spending his first year on the freshman team, Skowronek joined the varsity as a sophomore and earned First Team All-Conference honors three consecutive years. He finished his prep career with 133 catches for 2,181 yards and 26 touchdowns, adding 52 tackles and three interceptions on defense. As a senior, Skowronek was a captain and earned All-State honors, leading Homestead to the 2015 6A Sectional Championship. He played two seasons on the basketball team and helped Homestead to the 4A state championship as a junior (didn’t play as a senior). A three-star recruit out of high school, Skowronek was the No. 118 wide receiver in the class and the No. 11 recruit in the state of Indiana. He collected a dozen scholarship offers, including several from Power 5 programs including Boston College, Iowa and Northwestern. He chose the Wildcats partly because that is where his cousin (QB TJ Green) planned to play. After four seasons at Northwestern, Skowronek graduated with his degree in communications and transferred to Notre Dame for his final season of eligibility. His older brother (Matt) was a walk-on safety at Indiana (2013-14). His uncle (Trent Green) was an NFL quarterback for 16 seasons,
earning two Pro Bowl nods. Skowronek accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2016: (13/0) 8 70 8.8 0 Northwestern
2017: (13/13) 45 644 14.3 5 Northwestern; Led team in receiving
2018: (14/14) 45 562 12.5 3 Northwestern
2019: (3/3) 12 141 11.8 0 Northwestern; Team captain; Missed most of the season due to an ankle injury and redshirted
2020: (10/10) 29 439 15.1 5 Notre Dame; Rush TD; Missed two games due to injury; Led team in receiving TDs
Total: (53/40) 139 1,856 13.4 13
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE N/A (Combine canceled)
PRO DAY 6027 220 33 1/4 10 1/8 78 1/8 - - - - - - - 13 (no workout – right foot)
STRENGTHS: Big-bodied target with length…long-strider and carries his speed well…large, strong hands to snatch the ball and put it away (29 catches on 31 catchable targets in 2020)…excellent leaping skills and timing, making him one of the better high-pointing targets in this class…coordinated with his route movements, sinking his weight at the stem…plays with physicality within the route and won’t allow defenders to punk him…takes pride in the dirty work and loves to bounce cornerbacks around the field as a blocker…experienced on special teams coverages…offers versatility along the formation due to his size and blocking skills.
WEAKNESSES: Sluggish feet within his releases and routes…takes too long to gather and is inefficient in/out of breaks, struggling to maintain separation…physical vs. press, but has a tough time uncovering underneath…can be baited into extra contact with defenders…holds the ball too loose, leading to fumble opportunities for the defense…turns 24 years old before his first NFL training camp…durability is a red flag, suffering an ankle injury (September 2019) that required tightrope surgery and ended his 2019 season; missed the first two games of his senior season due to a hamstring strain (September 2020); suffered a jones fracture in his right foot during Senior Bowl practices (January 2021).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Notre Dame, Skowronek quickly found a role in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ scheme, lining up across the formation. A grad transfer from Northwestern, he was held back by injury and COVID, but his target share increased throughout the 2020 season, leading the Irish in touchdown grabs. When he creates separation, he struggles to keep it very long, but Skowronek has outstanding hand strength and highpointing skills to play through contact, especially in the red zone. As a blocker, he is an asset in the run game, mixing it up and washing defenders to spring chunk plays. Overall, Skowronek allows defensive backs to stay on top of him, but his catch radius and competitive chops will give him a chance at sticking on an NFL roster. He projects as a back-end receiver or tight end who will make an impact on special teams.
GRADE: 6th-7th Round