NFL Draft Profile: Jaelyn Duncan, Offensive Lineman, Maryland Terrapins
#71
Pos: OT
Ht: 6056
Wt: 306
Hand: 0938
Arm: 3300
Wing: 8058
40: 5.10
DOB: 7/8/2000
Hometown: Owings Mills, MD
High School: Saint Frances Academy
Eligibility: 2023
Jaelyn Duncan
Maryland Terrapins
One-Liner:
A stellar mover with dominant power in a massive frame, Jaelyn Duncan’s pure athleticism may rival that of any prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class. He can play four of the five offensive line positions and flashes solid technique. That said, Duncan’s high pad level, raw hand usage, and inconsistent angles will limit him early in his career. He is an early backup with elite potential.
Evaluation:
The projected 2023 offensive tackle class is widely seen as a weak position group, especially relative to the talent produced at the position in recent years. That said, Maryland’s Jaelyn Duncan is in contention to be the best of the bunch. He has substantial starting experience in the Big 10. What’s more, he is still learning the sport after having only begun to play in high school. His breakout 2020 season was preceded by, by his own admittance, poor offseason training. His ceiling is enormous with proper coaching. Duncan is explosive in all directions out of his stance. He has very quick feet and loose hips to mirror before and after contact. He can recover after biting on salesmanship or oversetting. Duncan has impressive change of direction for his size. He can be deployed creatively by offensive coordinators, even working to the third level at times. Duncan’s flexible hips, knees, and ankles ameliorate all aspects of his game. Moreover, the Maryland standout boasts an easy anchor even if he plays with poor technique and allows contact to his frame. His wide base, balance, and flexibility help him drop a late anchor. When Duncan employs proper hand technique, his power is stifling. He exhibits persistent leg drive to move defenders and sustain blocks. Duncan’s strong grip and core enable him to control defenders when his hand placement is sound. Further, Duncan’s flashes of accurate hands inspire confidence in his capacity to improve. The Terrapins’ star can get very low at contact, but he must do so more consistently. For his various outstanding athletic traits, Duncan’s draft profile is not perfect. The talented tackle will be a 23-year-old developmental rookie. Additionally, his spring measurements (3328 arms, 0918 hands, 288 pounds) are very concerning. He cannot always latch onto defenders. Long opponents will capitalize when they reach his chest in the NFL. Duncan also oversets and bites on salesmanship at times. His tendency to shoot extremely wide and high punches reduces his power, limits his ability to sustain blocks, and gives up his chest. He also keeps a very high pad level and sometimes leads with his shoulder, only further offering opponents his frame. Duncan’s feet can fall inactive. In pass protection, the athletic tackle allows defenders to corner too easily even after mirroring properly. In the run game, Duncan fails to break down and whiffs. He chases instead of cutting off opponents.
Grade:
1st-2nd Round
Background:
Born in Owings, Maryland, Jaelyn Duncan did not have a traditional path to college football. In fact, he had not started playing football until high school. Despite his late introduction to the game, Duncan excelled at St. Frances Academy and earned high praise from his high school coach for his work ethic and talent. The standout lineman was named to the 2017 Under Armour All-American and helped lead his team to the MIAA A Conference Championship. Duncan was listed by 247Sports Composite Rankings as a 4-star recruit, the 145th recruit in the nation, the 11th offensive tackle recruit in the country and the 6th-best recruit in the state of Maryland. Although he garnered scholarship offers from various schools recognized as NFL pipelines, Duncan chose to attend the University of Maryland to better stay close to home. After redshirting his freshman year with the Terrapins, the highly-touted tackle saw the field immediately in 2019. Duncan appeared in all 12 games during his redshirt freshman season (starting 11). In 2020, he started each of the Terrapins’ five games and was awarded 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. The head coach at the University of Maryland has praised Duncan by name for his massive jump from 2019 to 2020. The Maryland native was a standout in the 2021 offseason.
