Titans draft pick reveals he had bizarre meeting with 1 NFL coach

Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski (OL41) speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Peter Skoronski was widely viewed as one of the best offensive linemen available in the 2023 NFL Draft, but apparently he did not make much of an impression on the Atlanta Falcons.

Skoronski, who was selected 11th overall by the Tennessee Titans, spoke with The Athletic’s Dan Pompei this week about some of his pre-draft experiences. The former Northwestern star said he had formal interviews with 14 teams and enjoyed his time meeting with several coaches. Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was not easy to talk to, however.

“The head coach was on me the second I got in there,” Skoronski said of Smith. “I was giving them generic answers to their questions, and he said, ‘You’re really boring me right now. Your answers are so boring.’ The whole meeting, he kept looking at his computer. I was kind of laughing to myself and said, ‘Sorry, I don’t know what you want me to do. I’m answering you honestly.’”

Skoronski said he had been told that some interviewers would be intentionally cold to see how the prospect reacts, so he was not all that surprised. Still, his conversation with Smith clearly stood out for the wrong reasons.

The Falcons had the 8th overall pick, and Skoronski probably knew they were not going to take him. We have certainly heard of more cringeworthy interactions than the one Skoronski and Smith had, but we doubt the former Big Ten star had any interest in playing in Atlanta after the meeting.