2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jaelyn Duncan





  • Jaelyn Duncan, 6-5/315

  • Offensive Tackle

  • Maryland


  • Jaelyn Duncan Scouting Report
    By Charlie Campbell

    Strengths:
  • Excellent skill set
  • Ideal height, length, weight
  • Good athlete
  • Quickness
  • Quick feet
  • Gets depth in his drop to neutralize speed rushers
  • Can play the typewriter to cut off the corner
  • Bends at the knee
  • Doesn’t have to reach for rushers
  • Fast to the second level
  • Walls off and ties up defenders in the ground game
  • Bulk to hold his ground against bull rushes
  • Can anchor against bull rushes
  • Athletic upside




  • Weaknesses:
  • Raw
  • Needs development
  • Hand placement needs to be improved
  • Does not have a mean streak, tenacity
  • Could stand to get more physical


  • Summary: Duncan enters the next level with a lot of experience. The gifted specimen broke into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2019, and he held down the left tackle spot for four seasons.

    In the passing-driven NFL, teams are always looking for potential elite left tackles. It can be very difficult to find left tackles with Duncan’s natural size and athleticism, so those things make him an intriguing pro prospect, even though he has some shortcomings that need additional development. Duncan possesses a lot of natural strengths that make him an effective pass blocker. To start with, his size and length are ideal, making defenders really struggle to get around him. On top of his mass, Duncan has special quickness and athleticism. His quick feet help him play the typewriter and let him get depth in his drop to cut off the corner. Those same foot skills allow Duncan to kick slide with fast rushers and shut down speed off the edge. Duncan’s bulk assists him in anchoring and stopping bull rushes while only giving up a little ground. Improving his hand placement would help Duncan to give up less ground. He is very gifted in pass blocking.



    Against the run, Duncan could stand to become more physical. He has strength, but is not a dominant bull in the ground game who will push defensive linemen off the ball and knock defenders back. His hand placement needs work from his NFL position coach. However, Duncan is very adept at getting to spots as a run blocker. He will quickly arrive at the second level to hit blocks in space and get in position downfield on screens. With his athleticism and speed, Duncan is valuable to hit blocks away from the box. Duncan would be a very good fit in a zone-blocking system given his mobility and athleticism.

    Duncan needs more development for the NFL, with team sources noting some rawness to his game. He could stand to get more physical, but the skill set is there for him to become a starting left tackle in the NFL.

    In the 2023 NFL Draft, Duncan has the potential to go in the back half of the first round. He should not slide out of Round 2 durin the 2023 NFL Draft.



    Player Comparison: Russell Okung. Okung was a quality starting left tackle in the NFL after being the sixth-overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Okung was good, but not great, for the Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Panthers. Okung (6-5, 310) and Duncan have similar skill sets. In the NFL, I could see Duncan having a career similar to Okung.






    RELATED LINKS:


    2023 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


    2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


    2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








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