Eagles draft: Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski headlines a versatile class of interior O-linemen

The prospect of the Eagles’ drafting an offensive lineman under Howie Roseman has become a matter of “when” rather than “if.” They have left just three drafts in the last 10 years without a newly minted member of the offensive front and have taken one in the first three rounds five times in that span.

The team’s prioritization of the trenches is several decades old and well-established. Even if there are more pressing needs or no immediate path to a starting job for a prospect, Roseman has made a habit out of drafting line-of-scrimmage players.

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It’s hard to argue with the results. Recent years have proven the Eagles can never have too many promising young offensive linemen.

Going into this month’s draft, shoring up the offensive front is high on the team’s list of needs once again. Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson both signed extensions, but the former’s is only for one year and the latter has discussed his intention to play only a few more seasons.

Here’s a breakdown of the interior linemen the Eagles could target:

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

There’s an asterisk next to Skoronski in this scouting report because some teams consider him a tackle and others see him as a guard. He played left tackle, and at a high level, at Northwestern, but his length may limit him in the NFL. It’s hard to overlook his 32¼-inch arms, which fall in the fourth percentile among offensive tackle prospects, according to mockdraftable.com.

All that said, Skoronski is somewhat reminiscent of Rashawn Slater, his predecessor at Northwestern who has been a difference-maker for the Chargers despite less-than-ideal arm length. Like Slater, Skoronski has shown he can overcome his measurements with explosiveness, elite hand placement, and technically sound play. Skoronski will be a first-round pick because of what he has shown on film at tackle and has upside as an impact player somewhere on the offensive line.

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For the Eagles, Skoronski would have the luxury of starting inside at right guard with the potential to slide over to tackle. He would improve the team’s tackle depth in Year 1 as well, something the Eagles could use after losing Andre Dillard in free agency.

O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida

Torrence is a massive guard prospect with excellent play strength and upside as a road grader who can also hold up against bull rushes in the passing game. He moves defenders with relative ease and has a nasty streak, finishing off blocks with an edge through the whistle.

At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds with almost 34-inch arms, he’s the type of hulking interior lineman who will appeal to teams that rely on gap concepts where he can get downhill and clear out space. He’s still capable of making a difference in zone-running schemes as well because of his ability to knock back opposing defenders on double teams, but his athleticism isn’t his main selling point.

Torrence doesn’t profile as a tackle or a center, but teams looking for a powerhouse at guard will have him high on their boards. He’s rock solid, especially in the right scheme.

Steve Avila, TCU

Like Torrence, Avila has prototypical guard size and showed an ability to power through defenders in the run game. Avila showed more quicks than Torrence in college, but he doesn’t have the length of his fellow prospect.

At 6-foot-3, 332 pounds with 33-inch arms, Avila can definitely hang inside. Especially with his movement skills at that size. As a result of that agility, he should be a good fit for teams that use a heavy dose of zone-running plays that get interior linemen out in open space against linebackers more often than gap schemes.

As a pass protector, Avila gets off the ball well and has the ability to anchor against bull rushers. Combine that power with his foot quickness, and you have an interior line prospect with real upside as a pass protector as well as a capable run blocker.

Cody Mauch, North Dakota St.

Mauch is a converted tight end who gained roughly 80 pounds to play left tackle for the Bison before the 2020 season.

He’s been a difference-maker, albeit against lesser competition and at a slightly older age (24), ever since. At 6-foot-5, 302 pounds, Mauch has been a nasty run blocker who plays with an edge through the whistle and has the necessary athleticism to continue improving in pass protection. His anchor is solid, which will be important as he will likely make the switch to the interior at the next level because of his 32⅜-inch arms.

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Even after surpassing the 300-pound mark, Mauch moves well enough to suggest he could make an impact operating in open space against linebackers similar to how Kelce does. His film reveals plenty of impressive reps where his quickness off the ball and grip strength stand out. With the Eagles, he’d be an ideal pairing with Kelce and give the team a stable interior line situation even after Kelce retires. If Johnson follows Kelce into retirement a few years later, Mauch could be in line to bump back out to tackle.

Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse

Bergeron is another college tackle who profiles more as a guard at the next level because of physical limitations. That said, he still has the versatility to kick out and could stick at tackle for some teams.

The 6-foot-5, 318-pound prospect has impressively heavy hands and a strong anchor in pass protection and, like others mentioned before him, plays with attitude in the run game, clearing out lanes and looking to finish blocks off through the whistle.

His limitations aren’t length-related — his arms are just shy of 34 inches — but rather mobility-wise. He might struggle against more athletic edge rushers in the NFL, thus making a move to guard more palatable.

Still, Bergeron has a chance to be a rock-steady guard while also having positional versatility. Similar to Skoronski or Mauch, he could slot in with the Eagles on the interior and potentially develop into a right tackle under the tutelage of Jeff Stoutland.

John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota

Schmitz is a technically sound center/guard prospect who flashes more because of his footwork and hand placement rather than traits. His athletic testing was solid but not as eye-popping as you’d hope for an early-round center prospect. He was a consistent people-mover at the heart of Minnesota’s offense the last few seasons.

At 6-foot-3, 301 pounds, he’s more pigeonholed at center than most of the prospects listed ahead of him, but he’s got ideal processing ability, hand placement, and footwork to succeed there. It just might not make him a fit for the Eagles, who already have Cam Jurgens in place behind Kelce.

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