He's a big guy - 6'2", 220 pounds or so. He's paddled my Chesapeake 17, but only a bit - he's pretty inexperienced. Found it 'tippy', carries a lot of weight shoulders/arms. That said, would like an enjoyable but capable boat, and is intrigued by the Thule by Bjorn T. I've leaned more towards the Njord; in either case, would prefer a boat without the skeg. He's also looking at the OI, and the Petrel. A bit more 'comfort fit' may eliminate the latter from consideration.

Feedback/other suggestions always appreciated.

If possible, sitting in a lot of boats and getting some basic measurements from each boat is a good idea get some 'fit' parameters. Cockpit dimensions, deck height, etc. A tall person with muscular thighs will not be comfortable in some boats with lower side decks, for example. Hamstring flexibility can also be an issue.

For a big paddler, keep the seat low- I'd start with a bit of foam on the hull and add a seat once the skill level increases. An inch difference in seat height is a lot.

If Bjorn Thomasson says that a boat needs a skeg (Thule, Njord), I'd follow his advice.
The KajakSport skeg assemblies have been used successfully by some amateur builders - Sean Dawe has some good pics, as I recall.

Bjorn Thomasson is also very good (in my experience) in answering inquiries, so an email to him with body dimensions (including shoe size) might get some recommendations.

I have an OI and it is a 'classic' (great-looking) kayak design, but I wouldn't recommend it for an all-round learning boat, because of its fairly hard-tracking characteristic. People have raised the deck on the OI to get a bit more leg/foot room. Something a bit more 'Romany-ish' should be in your list, IMO. Bryan Hansel's Siskiwit would be worth a look- though I haven't paddled one myself.

Contacting designers directly and asking for suggestions can tell a lot, IMO.