Jaelyn Duncan Complete NFL Draft Profile (Run-Blocking Skills Give Duncan Safe Floor at NFL Level)

Maryland offensive lineman Jaelyn Duncan is eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft following his standout college career. A three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention, Duncan paved the way for the Terrapins' rushing attack with stellar blocks and could hear his name called as early as the first round in April.

Here's everything you need to know about Jaelyn Duncan heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Jaelyn Duncan Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/18: Walter Football, Sporting News, CBS Sports, Pro Football Network, ESPN.

Projected Draft Round: Round 1 (1), Round 2 (1), Round 3 (3)
Projected Team: Chiefs (2), Jaguars (1), Commanders (1), Cardinals (1)

Jaelyn Duncan Scouting Report

Duncan got a late start to football, first playing the sport at the age of 14, but committed to Maryland as a four-star recruit and redshirted a year before starting the final 11 games of the 2019 season. He then gave up just 1 sack, 1 hit and 6 hurries across five games played during the 2020 campaign.

The Maryland native earned an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team as a result, which was the case in 2021 and 2022 as well. Duncan allowed 4 sacks and 2 hits across 13 games played in 2021 and gave up 7 sacks and 4 hits across 12 games played during his final season with the Terrapins.

Highlighted strengths of Duncan's game reside in his athleticism. He has the prototypical size of an NFL offensive lineman, but he also possesses enough movement skills to keep up with speedy pass rushers. Duncan has also been praised for his ability to execute pull-out blocks on rushing plays.

Duncan is far from a perfect prospect, though, as he tends to lunge at defenders in pass protection, resulting in a loss of balance. Learning how to keep his base intact will be crucial for his development in the NFL. Nevertheless, Duncan has the foundation needed to hold his ground against elite talent.

Jaelyn Duncan NFL Draft Prediction

To drive the point home, Duncan regularly gets to the second level during rushing plays and either flattens or at least disrupts defenders in their path to the football. His lateral quickness will make him a good fit on an offense that prioritizes the rushing attack and preferably has a mobile quarterback.

The Chiefs stick out as logical landing spot not because they are a run-heavy team, but because they feature a passing attack that likes to get the ball out right away. That gives Duncan a chance to use his athleticism to keep pass rushers from even getting an opportunity to confuse Patrick Mahomes.

Of course, Duncan could also use his blocking excellence during rushing plays to open holes for the Chiefs' backfield. Andrew Wylie left in free agency and Lucas Niang nine career starts to his name. It would likely only take a second-round pick (or a trade up) for the Chiefs to add some RT competition.

Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs (Round 2, 63 overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Jaelyn Duncan NFL Combine Results

Jaelyn Duncan Maryland Stats

Jaelyn Duncan Maryland Highlights

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.