Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski could be a sure thing — a Bears OL rarity

INDIANAPOLIS — Peter Skoronski is productive. In three seasons as Northwestern’s starting left tackle, he allowed only five sacks in 2,364 snaps.

He has the pedigree, too. His grandfather Bob was a left tackle and offensive captain on Packers teams that won five NFL championships in 1961-67.

When Skoronski, who played high school ball at Maine South, walked on campus in Evanston, he looked fully formed.

‘‘He’s such a talented player,’’ Wildcats running back Evan Hull said. ‘‘And he came in like that.’’

The only nit to pick about Skoronski is the length of his arms, which officially will be measured at the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday. Some think his shorter reach is better-suited for guard, and guards typically aren’t drafted in the top 10.

‘‘Some people that really don’t understand the position that well think: ‘Oh, you’re a tackle. There’s longer [defensive] ends out there, so you need longer arms,’ ’’ Skoronski said Saturday. ‘‘As my trainer Duke Manyweather says: ‘No one seems to have an answer for the long-armed guys who can’t block anybody.’ ’’

Otherwise, Skoronski is as clean a prospect as former teammate Rashawn Slater, who was drafted 13th overall by the Chargers two years ago. Skoronski’s floor is the highest of any Round 1 offensive lineman this year.

The Bears could use a sure thing — or three — as they rebuild their line for the second consecutive offseason. They already have scheduled Skoronski as one of their 30 Halas Hall visits with team executives. They interviewed the other top tackle in the draft, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson, at the combine. He played darts with coaches and joked his first throw landed on the snack table, not on the board.

If the Bears decide to trade the No. 1 overall pick to maximize their draft return — the Panthers would have to give up at least first-round picks in the next three years to move up from No. 9, for example — Skoronski and Johnson make sense.

‘‘As bad as the Bears’ defense is,’’ NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said, ‘‘you’ve got to give Justin Fields some help here going forward.’’

The Bears rarely have helped their quarterbacks that way — they’ve drafted only four offensive linemen in Round 1 since 2000 — and it rarely worked out well when they did.

Kyle Long was a find. After playing only one season of major-college football, he was drafted 20th overall and made the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. But injuries limited him to 29 starts in his last four seasons with the Bears.

The other three, however, show the perils of drafting offensive linemen:

• Marc Colombo (29th overall in 2002) started only seven games for the Bears because of a dislocated kneecap and nerve damage. The Bears cut him one game into his third season. He found health with the Cowboys, however, starting every game for the next three seasons and 72 in his six seasons with them.

• Chris Williams (14th overall in 2008) was one of eight tackles taken in Round 1 that year but started only seven games at left tackle for the Bears — and another 31 elsewhere on the line — before being cut after 4½ seasons.

• Gabe Carimi (29th overall in 2011) started a combined 16 games in his first two seasons, had multiple knee surgeries and skipped parts of the team’s offseason program. The Bears dealt him to the Buccaneers in 2013, and he was out of football two years later.

The Bears have drafted three offensive linemen in Round 2 in this century, too, with a similar hit rate. Cody Whitehair has made one Pro Bowl in seven seasons. The Bears let James Daniels walk after four years last offseason. And Teven Jenkins has started only 13 games in two seasons after having back surgery.

None of the above was the prospect Skoronski is, however. If the Bears are able to keep him home, his Packers-loving family would adjust, he joked.

‘‘I think everyone understands the deal here,’’ he said.