Early 2027 Mock Drafts Project Rutgers’ KJ Duff as a First Round Pick
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 29: Kj Duff #8 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights catches a pass against Audavion Collins #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions in the fourth quarter at SHI Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 40-36. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images Rutgers football wide receiver KJ Duff burst onto the scene last season, showing huge potential in a season where he totaled 60 catches for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns, with his best performance coming against Purdue, where he made 6 catches for 241 yards and one touchdown in the Scarlet Knights’ win.
NFL scouts have taken notice of that performance, with different experts and analysts projecting Duff to go in the first round. According to Pro Football Focus, Duff is the No. 18 prospect in the 2027 NFL draft, and they have him going No.
15 overall to the New York Jets next season. In addition to Pro Football Focus, a few other sites have Duff going in the first round, according to nflmockdraftdatabase. com , a website dedicated to bringing every 2027 NFL mock draft from every major analyst all into one place.
Across the 55 mock drafts they have gathered right now, KJ Duff is listed as a first-rounder in three of them, with the other two coming from NFL Trade Rumors and Player Profiler. He is also expected to be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, according to the information gathered by the site. While only having three mock drafts placing him in the first round, being that high in the first place isn’t seen that often from someone who has only played two seasons of college ball, and only being a full-time starter for one of them.
However, next season does pose some challenges for Duff. His good friend and roommate, Ian Strong, transferred to CAL this off-season, meaning that Duff will be solely relied upon as the No. 1 option.