2027 NFL Draft: Meet the Nation’s Best Contested-Catch Receiver

KJ Duff raised his right arm to show a portrait tattoo of him and his father, Korey Sr. Below that, was more body art: a No. 1 and a football. The Rutgers star receiver grew up wearing that number, as his father did while playing semi-pro football.

Duff chuckled after revealing that his father played wide receiver and cornerback. He assumed that my follow-up question would be whether his father could cover him, you know, since he actually got paid to play corner at one time.

Based on how the younger Duff reacted to the amusing thought, it’s been a long time since the senior got the best of the junior on the football field. However, in defense of his father, who goes by KD, most corners have struggled to defend the nation’s best receiver on contested catches.

The 6'6", 225-pound Duff leads college football with 22 contested catches during a breakout sophomore season, and has done more of the same in 2026 to solidify himself as a first-round prospect for the NFL draft.

As for my actual follow-up question, I wanted to know his father’s height, because someone deserves credit for the freakish physical traits his son possesses and uses so well to his advantage. Duff Sr. stands 6'3", according to his son, who likes to poke fun at his old man occasionally.

“He was really the reason I played football,” Duff Jr. said. “He played in the semi-pro leagues. They call them the 37U leagues now on the internet.”

As a 37-year-old football reporter, that witty remark from Duff went over my head. Apparently, the younger crowd on social media has spent countless minutes being entertained by how competitive these adult football players can get on the field. It’s all for the love of the game, despite how much Icy Hot needs to be applied the following day.

“I believed in myself that I could play wide receiver, and you know, a few schools thought that as well. Rutgers was one of them, so I came here, and I haven’t looked back since.”
KJ Duff

Even though his father’s semi-pro days make him laugh now, Duff still cherishes the memories and how beneficial it was for him to be at those games.

“He would have his games on Saturdays,” Duff said. “I would be on the sideline and throw the ball around with the guys, and then I would have my Pee-Wee games on Sunday. That would get me hyped [for my games].”

Duff has been a star receiver for quite some time, appearing in a Colin Kaepernick Nike commercial at the age of 10 because the iconic brand wanted to use a highlight clip of him making a one-handed grab.

He’s gotten much taller since his youth football days. Surprisingly, being 6'6" caused trouble for Duff because many college programs wanted him to play tight end.

“I believed in myself that I could play wide receiver, and you know, a few schools thought that as well,” Duff said. “Rutgers was one of them, so I came here, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Duff could have left the Scarlet Knights after his breakout season, but he remained loyal to the university because his coaches believed in his long-term vision as a wide receiver. Duff did play basketball in high school and grew up playing baseball as a pitcher, but he knew that playing wide receiver would be his best and preferred path.

Although he’s frustrated about the losses (Rutgers is 1–3), Duff has no regrets about not transferring. He’s still getting to showcase himself to NFL evaluators, and it’s impressive how productive he’s been, even though defenses know where the ball is going most of the time.

“The No. 1 mentality [when] the ball is in the air, it’s gotta be mine,” Duff said, about specializing in contested catches. “That’s exactly how I go about it … using my height, my size to my advantage. Most of the corners that I play against, I’m a lot bigger than, so it’s about putting my body in the right position, and then going up and taking it out of the air.”

It’s gotten to the point where Duff is being viewed as one of the best four or five receivers in the country. On Saturday, Rutgers will host Indiana, the defending national champions with two potential first-round prospects at wide receiver, Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. If Duff, who has 29 catches for 550 yards and seven touchdowns this season, plays like the best receiver on the field, more NFL teams will line up to take him early in the draft. Rutgers has produced only three first-round picks in its history, including wide receiver Kenny Britt, who was selected by the Titans at No. 30 in 2009.

Duff excels at 50/50 passes, but has been nearly unstoppable on slant routes this season, a testament to the improvements he made in the offseason.

Duff said he prioritized his route running heading into his junior year. “Being cleaner at the top of the route, because you know, some of the route running I put out on tape last year, I definitely know I’m better than that. I’m capable of doing better, so it’s just a big emphasis I made—cleaning up some things.”

Duff said he likes to study the games of big-body pro receivers such as Mike Evans and Drake London. Those are two excellent comps for Duff, but he’s also a little taller than both.

There’s nothing wrong with being slightly too tall for the position, at least not for Duff.

Dylan Raiola enters 2027 NFL draft conversation

Raiola had been somewhat of an afterthought because it seemed he wasn’t interested in declaring for next year’s draft after leaving Nebraska to transfer to Oregon to be Dante Moore’s backup.

That might still be the case, but it says a lot that Raiola, who went viral at Nebraska for mirroring Patrick Mahomes’s appearance, was ready for his opportunity after Moore exited due to a scary head hit against USC in the second quarter last week.

I was at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for the Big Ten matchup, and I was impressed by the many NFL-level throws Raiola made in a tough environment during a game that was tight until the final five minutes.

Raiola and USC’s Jayden Maiava traded touchdown drives, but the Ducks’ offense was too much for the Trojans’ suspect defense. Raiola finally showed what he’s capable of with better surroundings after not getting much help in his two years at Nebraska.

If Raiola plays more this season and keeps shining, that may be enough to push him to declare now instead of waiting for 2028. It might not be a bad play, considering how there’s no clear quarterback to go No. 1 in April. Arch Manning could still very well be the top pick, but the Texas signal-caller continues to deliver up-and-down performances. The same can be said for Moore before the injury.

We’ll see how this development in Eugene plays out, but the QB list of prospects to watch keeps getting longer.

The Jeremiah Smith factor for NFL teams with mid-tier QBs

Mid-tier NFL quarterbacks might want to send Smith a gift basket because the Ohio State wide receiver could become the No. 1 pick in the draft and save one of their jobs.

Currently, the 0–3 Texans have the No. 1 pick. In this scenario, the organization can give up on C.J. Stroud and take a quarterback, trade the pick or select Smith to help Stroud find his footing. Houston went the Smith route in my latest mock draft.

Another example: The winless Buccaneers are in the mix for the No. 1 pick. They can either ditch Baker Mayfield, who struggled before his dislocated thumb injury, or draft Smith to aid Mayfield. The winless Titans also have the up-and-down Cam Ward, the 2025 No. 1 pick. He, too, could use a wideout as good as Smith.

With how inconsistent the top college quarterbacks have been, more teams might be wanting a shot at taking Smith No. 1 regardless of their quarterback situation.

WEEK 5 RISERS AND FALLERS

RISERS

Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon

Oregon TE Jamari Johnson caught all 7 of his targets for 119 yards in Saturday’s win over USC.

Missed the last two games and was limited in practice all week. pic.twitter.com/ThHNQTH0d8
— Max Torres (@mtorressports) September 27, 2026

I immediately turned back to see the reactions of NFL scouts in the press box after Johnson’s sensational one-handed grab, which, unfortunately, was called back for a penalty away from the play. Let’s say that I wasn’t disappointed by their reactions. Johnson had a handful of “wow” catches in the 119-yard performance against USC. Part of the reason why Moore hadn’t looked good for a few weeks was that Johnson missed two games due to injury. The 6'5", 255-pound playmaker is a friendly target with a ton of upside.

Bear Alexander, DT, Oregon

With so much star power on the field for Oregon vs. USC, Alexander wasn’t high on my watch list for my visit to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. But the 6'3", 316-pound big man in the No. 1 jersey kept flying into the backfield. He has the frame of a nose tackle, but also offers some upside as a pass rusher, recording one sack against the Trojans. I’m pretty sure Alexander will land on my top-75 big board next week.

Chris Cole, LB, Georgia

I’ve watched Chris Cole hunt down John Mateer about 200x this week

I mean dear mother of god pic.twitter.com/KUZGTCnsUn
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) September 30, 2026

Many were blown away by the sideline-to-sideline speed Cole displayed in the victory against Oklahoma. He’s showing shades of one day being as good as fellow Georgia product Roquan Smith, the Ravens’ star linebacker. Cole’s 40-yard dash at the scouting combine might be must-see TV if he decides to declare for the draft. The junior had eight tackles and a sack against the Sooners.

FALLERS

Xavier Scott, CB, Illinois

There’s no shame in losing battles to Smith, but it was a rough day for the entire Illinois secondary against the Buckeyes’ stud wideout who generated 217 yards and four touchdowns last week. Scott mostly played in the slot and was occasionally asked to help his teammates on the perimeter against Smith. Overall, it was a questionable game plan from the coaches, which led to defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck’s dismissal this week.

Dylan Stewart, edge, South Carolina

Welp, I chose a bad week to declare Stewart the best edge rusher in the upcoming draft. Stewart is currently not with the team after throwing a punch at an Alabama player and arguing with his coaches on the field. Surely, this will raise character concerns for NFL teams, which could cause Stewart to drop in the draft. He’ll still likely be a first-rounder, but now it seems Texas’s Colin Simmons will surpass him in the edge rusher rankings after his 5.5-sack day against Tennessee.

Elijah Paige, OT, USC

Individually, Paige had a decent outing against Oregon’s star-studded front. But once the Ducks increased their pressure in the fourth quarter, it all fell apart for the Trojans’ offensive line. We’ll see how Paige continues to perform amid this grueling stretch against Washington, Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

GAMES THAT COULD IMPACT THE DRAFT

Penn State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET Friday

Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles outplayed Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover in last week’s narrow 29–23 loss. He showed plenty of poise and accuracy, completing 22-of-29 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns, and now has another tough matchup against the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s Marcus Neal Jr. and Northwestern’s Robert Fitzgerald will be two standout safeties to watch. Also, keep an eye out for Penn State tight end Benjamin Brahmer.

Alabama at Mississippi State, noon ET Saturday

After a few early-season drops, Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams has gotten back on track. He has 17 catches for 333 yards, three touchdowns, and is averaging 19.6 yards per reception. He has an intriguing battle against Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones, whom some scouts view as a Day 1 prospect.

Ohio State at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

This is a good game to check back in on Iowa’s latest crop of talented offensive linemen. Tackle Trevor Lauck and guard Kade Pieper could hear their names called early in the draft. Pieper was expected to play center this season, but Cael Winter earned the position, allowing Pieper to stay at his preferred spot. Winter is now climbing up draft boards. They’ll go up against edge rusher Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain.

Miami at Clemson, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton has aced all of his tests this season, but the difficulty level will increase a few notches against stud sophomore Miami wideout Malachi Toney, who has 34 catches for 564 yards and six touchdowns. If Hampton can hold his own against possibly the best receiver in the 2028 draft, that’ll likely make him a top-two or three cornerback in April.

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