The Chicago Bears had one of the best draft classes in 2016 in the whole NFL, but they may have found a gem outside of the draft in WR/KR Kieren Duncan…
The Chicago Bears absolutely killed the 2016 NFL Draft, but they showed afterward by signing CSU-Pueblo star WR/KR Kieren Duncan that they weren’t done.
If you put Duncan in a no. 16 uniform at Kansas State, fans might have sworn you put a wig on Tyler Lockett and gave him an extra year of eligibility. This guy can flat out do it all. Not only making routine catches and circus catches as a receiver, but taking the ball out of the backfield and especially as a kick/punt returner.
He has dynamic playmaking ability after the catch and with the ball in his hands in general. He’s able to see the field really well and has great change of direction quickness.
[video=youtube;hyz9Rofi7PM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyz9Rofi7PM[/video]
A lot of times with small school receivers, you will see very basic route concepts for receivers and compared to the NFL level, that might be true. In the case of Kieren Duncan, I don’t see someone who is rudimentary in route running skill. He runs really sharp routes and catches the ball cleanly away from his body despite smaller hands with a 5-10, 179 pound frame.
It’s going to take him some time to develop, but the smaller receivers with speed are en vogue in today’s NFL. He will be dwarfed by guys like Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, and Marquess Wilson in Chicago, but he’ll blaze by them in a footrace as well.
Duncan reportedly ran a hand-timed 4.25 second 40-yard dash at his pro day prior to the draft, and others clocked him in the mid-4.3 range.
https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/714964898938118144?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
I don’t care what time he ran within those parameters — this dude is blazing fast. And that speed shows up on tape.
The Bears have an absolute steal here. I don’t know how the roster will shake out in terms of WR depth, but there’s no question this guy could get some snaps as a rookie and just make an impact based on how well he runs with the ball in his hands. Unlike a lot of smaller receiver/returners, Duncan doesn’t seem to have problems catching the ball.
Throw him a quick screen, get him on some go routes, and feature him as a returner and see what kind of impact he can make. As the offseason progresses, I think you’re going to hear more and more about this young speedster.
In the NFL, speed kills, and Duncan is primed to leave a lot of people in the rear-view mirror.
