The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, and prospects are going through final preparations before hoping to hear their name called during the 2023 NFL Draft in late April.
One of the standouts at the combine was Maryland left tackle Jaelyn Duncan. Officially measuring in at 6-foot-6 and 306 pounds, Duncan ranked seventh out of all tackles in terms of athleticism score, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. He ran a 5.10-second 40-yard dash with a 1.78 10-yard split and posted a 31.5-inch vertical jump.
Duncan believes there is more to prove despite his impressive performance in Indianapolis.
“If we’re being honest, my grades were through the roof. Me personally, I feel as though I could have done a little bit better,” Duncan said on Glenn Clark Radio March 13. “It’s OK, though. I still had a good day. That’s what Pro Days are for. You get a second chance at it.”
Duncan, 22, started 39 games for the Terps across four years (2019-2022). He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He wants teams to know what they are getting if they select him with one of their picks next month.
“[I’m] a hard-working guy, somebody that respects the coach and is willing to be coached,” Duncan said of himself. “Respects the teammates, willing to build a relationship with everybody in the building, and I’m just there to do anything for the team.”
Duncan added that he is “not rushing to be a starter” at the next level. Rather, he will play whatever spot he earns.
Duncan’s development is intriguing since he is relatively new to the sport. He said he didn’t make the decision to start playing football until the summer before his freshman year of high school. He eventually changed schools before his senior year of high school in order to face tougher competition.
Duncan, an Owings, Md., native, moved from Northern High School to St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. There, he was coached by Biff Poggi, a former college offensive lineman and now the new head coach at Charlotte.
Duncan called the competition he faced that year “amazing,” and he believes Poggi will fare well in his new role.
“He’s a great head coach,” Duncan said. “He knows how to coach a team, he knows how to get us ready, take care of his team, make sure his team’s got everything they need. I feel like he’s just going to transfer it over to being a college head coach.”
Duncan then was part of Maryland football’s renaissance under Michael Locksley. The Terps won back-to-back bowl games in 2021 and 2022 after having gone on a five-year drought without a bowl game appearance and 11 years without a victory.
A culture change was necessary after Locksley took over in late 2018. The coach was tasked with maintaining a brotherhood and camaraderie even through a pandemic. Duncan said that he was glad to be part of the growth of the program.
“I don’t regret going to Maryland. I’d do it again if I had to,” Duncan said. “I was just proud of what we accomplished.”
Duncan admitted that he “wasn’t that good” when he arrived at Maryland, but consistent reps and hard work combined with his natural athleticism helped him see football as a real option.
“Once you see yourself improving, and once you see how good you really are … you realize that you can do this for a long time,” Duncan said.
Duncan also shouted out Locksley for helping him understand that.
“[Locksley] was one of those guys that helped me open my eyes to realize that I could do this for a long time,” Duncan said. “He helped me get there.”
For more from Duncan, listen to the full interview here:
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