NFL Draft Profile: Khalid Duke, EDGE, Kansas State Wildcats
#29
Pos: EDGE
Ht: 6025
Wt: 244
40: 5.15
DOB: 2/27/2001
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
High School: Riverside Military Academy
Eligibility: 2023
Khalid Duke
Kansas State Wildcats
One-Liner:
Physical and competitive EDGE with a fiery motor who uses his length well in the run game vs tight ends and has flashes of well-planned pass rush moves but needs to develop counters and has a limited ceiling due to below-average athleticism.
Evaluation:
Khalid Duke is a very competitive EDGE prospect who brings fire to the trenches and has the potential to be a well-rounded threat in the trenches. He aligns from various stances (4, 3, 2) and shows explosive get-off with two hands in the dirt. Duke gets after the QB with a predetermined rush plan and varies his rushes between an outside speed rush, an inside spin and a powerful long arm. He has a non-stop motor in the run game and is especially effective chasing down zone runs from the backside due to underrated straight-line speed. Versus Gap/Power drive blocks, Duke uses his immense length to stack and shed, dominating Tight Ends with his power and physical toughness. While Duke provides intrigue as an EDGE prospect, he has his limitations and is far from a finished product. Firstly, he’s a bit undersized for the position (might be better as a rush-OLB) with a narrow frame that needs some added bulk. Athletically, Duke struggles to bend around the corner on outside rushes or keep his balance when he dips and also lacks COD and agility which is often exposed in the run game. Duke struggles on Zone runs due to mediocre lateral mobility to gain a leverage advantage and he should not be asked to two-gap. He generally needs to become more disciplined as a run defender, often getting caught bursting far downfield when the run is coming in his direction. Furthermore, vs Power runs he puts his head down after the snap - struggling to read keys and find the ball - and often slants too far inside when not even asked to execute a scrape exchange. In addition, Duke struggles to finish plays as he is often a step out of position from a tackle due to his poor COD and agility to get near the ball carrier. Duke’s inexperience (13 games played) is apparent with his below-average instincts and processing when it comes to misdirection and option plays, often getting caught in no man's land and away from the play. Lastly, while he rushes with a good rush plan, it’s largely predetermined and his pass rush move does not change depending on the tackle’s leverage. He must learn to alter his plan or utilize counter moves when appropriate. Duke is a physical and competitive EDGE prospect who has a fiery motor when pursuing the ball. He can use his length to dominate tight end’s 1on1, stack and shedding like a veteran. While he regularly rushes with a plan he needs to be less predetermined and more willing to vary his plan of attack or use a counter. His ceiling is limited due to being a below-average athlete but he can be a very good rotational strong side DE or a functional starter.
Grade:
7th Round
Background:
Khalid Malik Duke was born February 27, 2001, in Decatur, Georgia to Sandra Gelin and the late Malik Maxime Duke. He attended Riverside Military Academy where he played high school football and earned first-team all-state honors from the Atlanta Journal Constitution in 2018. Duke compiled 219 tackles, 21 TFLs, nine sacks and two interceptions for his career. He was extremely athletic, also playing basketball and was a state champion in the triple jump. After high school, 247Sports ranked him as a 3-Star recruit, the 1339th-best recruit nationally, the 97th-ranked outside linebacker recruit in the country and the 125th recruit in the state of Georgia. Duke played in 7 games during his 2019 True Freshman year. He played primarily as a third-down pass-rushing specialist, totaling seven tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. According to ESPN, he was rated the 83rd-best outside linebacker in the Class of 2019. Post 2019 season, defensive end coach Joe Klanderman has high expectations for Duke. Klanderman said of Duke, “He can be one of the best defensive ends in the conference. He is just playing at a different speed than everyone else right now, they’re having a hard time blocking him in the run game and the pass game. That’s what we really need”. His past 2020 Junior year season, Duke played in nine games with eight starts, the first starts of his career. He totaled 26 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack on the season and Set a career-high with nine tackles in his first-career start at Oklahoma. Coaches note Khalid’s commitment to the game and say he is constantly working on his skills and improving. Defensive end coach Wyatt said of Duke, “Khalid has a huge ceiling. If he continues to improve week in, week out and he stays committed to being one of the best, I think he has a chance to be really special.”
