Today, we are focusing on our 2021 NFL Draft Specialists with Max Duffy, the Punter out of Kentucky. Duffy comes from a Soccer and Aussie Rules Football background as a youngster in his native Australia, and he also won the 2019 Ray Guy Award (Top Punter in the Nation). To scout Duffy, I watched the following film: at Florida (2020), at Auburn (2020), and at Mississippi St. (2020).
Pros:
The first thing that jumps off the tape, when watching Max Duffy, is his booming leg. He has the potential to flip the field for his team every time he goes out to punt. Duffy also has a handful of different kicks in his repertoire, and he can get different spins on the ball depending on the scenario. He also has an NFL quality hang time and snap-to-kick time. His accuracy is nothing to complain about, as he can put the ball where he wants it. He also showed that he can be a weapon running with the ball on fakes, as he has solid athleticism from his Aussie Rules days.
Cons:
Duffy doesn’t have too many glaring weaknesses, but I will point out that he seems to be a bit more accurate in lower trajectory punts than his higher lofted ones. He also likes to kick those low trajectory punts and let the ball bounce for more yards. However, with the halo rule in the CFL, this could be a detriment to what he does best. With the shape of the football, his bounces can be unpredictable at times, which could make it harder for his gunners to cover. He is also 27 years old, so he’s a bit on the older side of being a prospect.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that I really like what Max Duffy brings to the table as a specialist. He has a strong leg, and is an accurate punter who can do a lot of different things. With his different types of kicks, his ability to roll out and kick on the run, and his alleged ability to kick with both legs, I think he would make an awesome weapon to have on your team. Even though he doesn’t have experience performing kickoff duties for Kentucky, I believe he has the leg power to perform that at the next level. He also doesn’t have many glaring weaknesses, and his average stats all are above my Punter benchmarks. Duffy is my favorite Specialist in this year’s Draft.
Prospect Grade: 6.6 – NFL Starter
