An apparatus and method to deskew sheets in a short paper path in an electrophotographic printing machine by differentially driving two sets of rolls so as to create a paper buckle buffer zone in the sheet and then differentially driving a roll set to correct the skew while the sheet is still within the nips of multiple drive roll sets. Contrary to stalled roll techniques, leading edge damage to sheets is eliminated as the deskewing rolls are initially traveling at the same velocity as the sheet.