49ers Urged to Avoid Toolsy Terps Tackle With First Draft Pick

Getty San Francisco 49ers draft prospect Jaelyn Duncan pancaking a defender.

As fans attempt to dissect which players the San Francisco 49ers should select in the 2023 NFL draft, especially with their three picks in the third round, others, including Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey, have decided to commit some time to evaluate which players John Lynch should avoid investing an asset into.

Discussing this very topic in an article titled, “Prospects for 49ers to Avoid in 2023 NFL Draft,” Tansey pointed out one tackle in particular, Jaelyn Duncan of the Maryland Terrapins, as a player Lynch should avoid, and used some advanced analytics from Pro Football Focus to make his case.

“Maryland’s Jaelyn Duncan is one of the offensive tackles who could be available at No. 99, 101, or 102, but there is one concerning stat from his final season at Maryland that could keep the 49ers away,” Tansey wrote.

“Duncan allowed 28 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, which listed him as the No. 123 prospect in the 2023 draft class. San Francisco needs offensive linemen who can protect Trey Lance or Brock Purdy so that either quarterback has the proper time to develop throughout the regular season.”

A career left tackle who started 39 of the 42 games he appeared in for the Terps, Duncan is one of the more experienced tackles in the 2023 NFL draft. While he did surrender 28 pressures, there’s a reason why Duncan is being linked to the 49ers right around spot 100 in the NFL draft, as Pro Football Focus themselves noted when discussing his professional prospects.

PFF Actually like Jaelyn Duncan to the San Francisco 49ers

While Tansey used Pro Football Focus’ advanced statistics to note why the 49ers should be leery of drafting Duncan, Sam Monson, the Lead NFL Analyst for PFF, actually named drafting the Terps tackle as a “dream scenario” for San Francisco in a recent article titled “2023 NFL Draft: Perfect scenarios for teams without a pick in Round 1.”

“Adding interior offensive linemen would be a solid move for the 49ers, as would be snagging a developmental tackle such as BYU’s Blake Freeland, but they could also use secondary help with some changes over the offseason,” Monson wrote.

“Duncan is another option with elite potential but without the tape to back it up yet, and he would be an interesting player to develop from the bench.”

While PFF did knock Duncan for his allowed pressures in 2022, in his draft profile, the company complemented the Terp tackle’s balance and upside before dubbing him a top-125 player.

“Duncan has some of the best balance in the draft class with easy mirroring ability on the edge,” Pro Football Focus wrote in Duncan’s draft profile. “He just needs his hands to do more work for him, as he allowed 28 pressures this past fall.”

Lance Zierlein Has a Very Different Idea for Duncan as a Pro

While Tansey and Monson have both discussed whether or not Duncan can be a contributor for a team like the 49ers at tackle, Lance Zierlein, the lead draft analyst for NFL.com, believes the collegiate left tackle’s real NFL position might actually be at guard.

“Highly athletic four-year starter at left tackle who might have the best chance to stick in the league as a zone-scheme guard,” Zierlein wrote in his draft profile. “It’s easy to love the athletic flashes, but it’s challenging to love the complete body of work when studying the game tape. Duncan rarely plays with enough finish, and his man is frequently near the final action because of it. He has the foot speed to protect as a left tackle, but his ability to anchor is a major concern. His lateral quickness should work to his advantage as a move blocker, but he’ll need to unearth enough grit to stand up to NFL bullies at the point of attack to make it.”

Viewed as a developmental left tackle who could compete with Colton McKivitz for Mike McGlinchey’s right tackle spot, it’s worth wondering how Duncan’s ceiling and floor could impact the 49ers in 2023. If, however, Lynch and company instead believe Duncan could be more of a replacement for Daniel Brunskill, who played guard and tackle regularly for San Francisco over his tenure, that may change their internal evaluation, and affect where he ultimately lands on the board one way or another.