Maryland senior left tackle Jaelyn Duncan declared for the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday night.
Duncan will leave Maryland as one of the program’s best offensive linemen in more than a decade. The former St. Frances standout was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention, using his speed and athleticism to transform into an intriguing prospect who could be picked as high as the first round in April.
“I would venture to say there are very few tackles throughout the country that have the athleticism he has,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said of the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Duncan.
Duncan is among a handful of Maryland players to declare for the NFL draft in recent weeks. Edge rusher Durell Nchami, wide receivers Rakim Jarrett, Jacob Copeland and Dontay Demus Jr. and cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Jakorian Bennett have announced their decisions to turn pro. Duncan, Bennett and kicker Chad Ryland will compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in February.
Maryland is still waiting on redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and senior wide receiver Jeshaun Jones to decide whether they want to return to College Park for another season or enter the draft.
“Thankful for it all can’t wait to see what this next chapter has in store,” Duncan wrote in an Instagram post announcing his decision.
The New Carrollton native was a reliable player at Maryland, starting 41 games after joining the program in 2018. The four-star prospect was rated the No. 45 overall prospect in the ESPN300 and chose the Terps over Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and others. After Duncan allowed only five sacks in the previous two seasons, he gave up seven sacks and 28 pressures in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus.
Duncan is likely to be Maryland’s first offensive lineman drafted since Bruce Campbell in 2010. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Duncan as the seventh-best offensive tackle in this year’s draft class. In a recent mock draft, CBS Sports has Duncan getting picked No. 21 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which would make him the first Terp to be drafted inside the top 20 since wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was selected seventh overall in 2009.
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Source: Berkshire mont
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