Skyler Gill-Howard
Detroit LionsOur College Grade
How good he was in college at what his position is supposed to do, out of 100. Scored against everyone else at his position, adjusted for the level he played at. This is not his NFL grade.
College Production
Northern Illinois · Mid-American
| Season | Tkl | TFL | Sacks | Hur | PD | INT | Pos Rk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 21 | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 346 | |
| 2024 | 48 | 7 | 4.5 | 4 | 0 | 38 | |
| 2025 | 13 | 2 | 0.5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 468 |
The seasons in our college data. It does not always reach back to a player's first year.
Scouting Report
Texas Tech · 2026 draft class
Skyler Gill-Howard's path to becoming an NFL Draft prospect is one of the most remarkable stories in the 2026 class. He started as a walk-on linebacker at Division II Upper Iowa in 2021, playing in a town of 800 people after being barely recruited despite earning All-State honors at Greenfield High School in Wisconsin. After one season, he transferred to Northern Illinois as a walk-on, packed on over 50 pounds, and switched to defensive tackle. That redshift year in 2022 earned him NIU's Defensive Futures Player of the Year award-the beginning of an unlikely transformation. A two-time Wisconsin state wrestling finalist, Gill-Howard credits that background for teaching him leverage, hand placement, and how to keep blockers off balance. At Northern Illinois in 2024, he led all Huskies defensive linemen with 51 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, and 5.0 sacks, earning Third Team All-MAC and team captain honors. Pro Football Focus graded him at 84.0 overall (10th among FBS interior linemen) with an elite 88.7 run defense grade (sixth nationally). His transfer to Texas Tech unlocked another level. Though his 2025 senior season lasted just six games before an ankle injury, he made every snap count: nine tackles, 2.5 TFLs, six quarterback hits, and a 55-yard pick-six against Kent State that earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. PFF rated him the fourth-best defensive tackle in the country before the injury. At 6'0", 285 pounds, Gill-Howard brings interior quickness and gap penetration that defensive coordinators dream about. His best role is as a rotational three-technique in an attacking one-gap scheme.
Strengths
- Explosive first step-legitimately NFL-caliber
- 88.7 PFF run defense grade (6th nationally at NIU)
- 84.0 overall PFF grade at NIU
- Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
- 55-yard pick-six shows athleticism
- Wrestling background for leverage/hand placement
- Walk-on to elite prospect story
- Gap penetration disrupts offensive lines
- Interior quickness rare at DT
- 4th-best DT per PFF before injury
Concerns
- Undersized at 6'0" for interior DL
- Not built for eating double teams
- Ankle injury ended 2025 season early
- Limited film against elite competition
- Needs to add functional strength
- G5 production questions for some
- Durability concerns after injury
- May be limited to passing-down role
Honors
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week; 4th-best DT (PFF) before injury; Third Team All-MAC; NIU Defensive Futures Award; Walk-on to prospect story