Early last week, we posted a poll in our feed asking readers whether KJ Duff will be the highest draft pick in Rutgers history. The current highest is Anthony Davis, who was selected 11th overall. While most of our readers do not think that Duff will be the highest pick in Rutgers history, a majority believe he will be selected in the first round if he performs well at the NFL combine.
“I’d guess somewhere in the second half of the first round. Very good routes and best contested catches, though elite
speed and RAC holds him back a bit.”– commentor mjtortoise
“Not seeing a top 10 unless he blows-up at The Combine. As it stands now, late first round?“- commentor BobR
As Bob and many other commentators have said, where he will be drafted hinges heavily on how he performs at the NFL Combine. As of right now, Duff is top ten in the country in terms of receiving yards, receiving yards per game, and receiving touchdowns per game; however, he ranks in the 5-10 area on all of those. He currently leads the FBS in contested catches this season with 13. He has done all of this in spite of the inconsistent quarterback play that has plagued the Knights all season.
Quarterbacking is another issue that could affect his draft stock. With Lonergan leaving his third game early this season against Northwestern, health concerns are plaguing the Knights’ top passer. Backup AJ Surace has not impressed during his minutes this season either. If health troubles continue to affect Lonergan, Duff’s draft stock could drop simply due to the inability to get him the ball. He will also be going up against Big Ten defenses keying in on him the rest of the way as well. This will also make a really strong combine performance key to landing him in the top half of the first round.
