KJ Duff WR Rutgers |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #8 ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.58 seconds (23%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #8 | |
| ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.58 seconds (23%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
86.6 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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77% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 120.9 | |
| Hands: |
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78% |
| Short Receiving: |
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85% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
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90% |
| Deep Threat: |
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87% |
| Blocking: |
|
64% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Early
Overall Rank:
#39
Position rank:
#4 (WR)
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| College Games: 25 College Snaps: 1326 | ||
ESPN RATING: 79/100
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247 RATING: 89/100
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tetairoa McMillan - Arizona |
|
80% |
| Denzel Boston - Washington |
|
78% |
| Drake London - USC |
|
75% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Duff came out of St. Anthony's in Melville, New York, as a four-star recruit and the top-rated player in the state for the 2024 class. He left as the program's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns and won the 2023 Rich Reichert Award as the Catholic Football League's best player. Rutgers, Texas, Miami, North Carolina, and others recruited him before he committed to the Scarlet Knights.As a true freshman in 2024, Duff played all 13 games with four starts, catching 27 passes for 425 yards and a touchdown. He ranked fourth among Big Ten true freshmen in receiving yards and ninth in the conference in yards per catch.
The sophomore season confirmed the trajectory. Duff started all 12 games in 2025 and led Rutgers with 60 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming the seventh Scarlet Knight to crack 1,000 receiving yards in a season. His best game came at Purdue: six catches for 241 yards and a 72-yard score, the second-highest single-game total in school history. He earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches, media, and AP, landed on the Biletnikoff Award watch list, and was ranked No. 52 nationally by ESPN. He chose to return to Rutgers for 2026.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Enormous 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame that overwhelms defenders at the catch
- Signature ball-winner (won 22 of 36 contested targets in 2025)
- Erupted for 241 yards on Purdue, the loudest single game in the class
- Wrestles throws away through contact with strong, late hands
- Physical route runner who leans on and stacks smaller corners
- Balanced deep and intermediate production, 1,084 yards for Rutgers
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Below-average speed, does not threaten the top of a defense vertically
- Struggled to separate from Ohio State and Oregon's better corners
- Gathers before breaking, limited short-area suddenness for a lead role
- After-the-catch yardage modest for the size, more masher than creator
Scouting Report: Summary
The 241-yard eruption against Purdue captured what KJ Duff is: a 6-foot-6, 225-pound problem who turns 50-50 balls into his own. He finished with 1,084 yards for Rutgers and won 22 of 36 contested targets, living above the rim on back-shoulder throws and fades where his frame simply outmatches the coverage.Duff is not a burner, and the ceiling reflects it. His timed speed grades below the position line, and the tape agrees, with more athletic corners at Ohio State and Oregon staying attached and taking away the vertical shot. He gathers before he breaks, so the separation comes from strength and positioning rather than quickness, and the run-after-catch is functional rather than dangerous.
He fits a play-action offense that wants a big-bodied X on the boundary and a red-zone target who wins with size on third down. The role is specialized but valuable, and few receivers win the contested rep as reliably as he does. Overall, as long as the scheme leans into his strengths rather than asking him to run past people, Duff projects as a starting possession receiver with a high floor. His game is narrow, but the contested reliability and size make it a bankable one that should carry cleanly from Saturdays to Sundays and into a long pro career.
How other scouting services rate KJ Duff (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
39.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
5.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.