R.J. Maryland — Scouting Report

DynastySignal | 2026 NFL Draft

The Short Version

R.J. Maryland is a receiving-first tight end who combines genuine top-end athleticism — he ran 11.33 in the 100m as a high schooler — with a functional in-line frame and NFL bloodlines that would make any personnel department salivate. The case for him is straightforward: he's a genuine seam-stretcher who can line up in-line, in the slot, or split wide and stress every level of a defense, as he demonstrated repeatedly against ACC competition in 2024. The case against is real and unavoidable: an ACL tear in October 2024 truncated what was shaping up as a breakout junior season, and at 224 lbs. he needs to add meaningful weight to hold up as a Day 2 in-line TE at the next level. Dynasty buyers are essentially betting on a clean medical at the combine, a full-speed 2025 return, and a frame that can carry an additional 10-15 pounds of functional mass.

Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Detail |

|-----------|--------|

| Full Name | Russell James Maryland Jr. |

| Position | TE |

| School | SMU Mustangs (ACC) |

| Class | Senior (2026 Draft Eligible) |

| DOB | July 9, 2004 |

| Age at Draft | ~21 |

| Height | 6'3 2/8" (6032) |

| Weight | 224 lbs |

| Projected 40 | ~4.55–4.58 (track background: 11.33 100m as HS junior) |

| Hometown | Southlake, TX |

| High School | Southlake Carroll (Dragons) |

| Father | Russell Maryland — #1 overall pick, 1991 NFL Draft; Dallas Cowboys DT; 3× Super Bowl champion |

| Recruited | Originally committed to Boston College; flipped to SMU |

| Team Captain | Yes (#82, wears captain's "C") |

Career Stats:

| Year | Class | Rec | Yards | TDs | Notes |

|------|-------|-----|-------|-----|-------|

| 2022 | Fr | — | — | — | Minimal role (likely RS) |

| 2023 | So | 54 | 518 | 7 | 1st-Team All-AAC |

| 2024 | Jr | 24 | 359 | 4 | ACL tear Week 7 (at Stanford) |

| 2025 | Sr | — | — | — | Return season; listed as WR/TE co-starter |

2024 opener vs. Nevada: 8 rec, 162 yds, 1 TD (ACC Receiver of the Week)

Film Sources Reviewed

| Source | Frame Count | Key Content |

|--------|-------------|-------------|

| SMU Football — RJ Maryland 2024 Highlights (SMU Football YouTube) | 27 frames (highlights_001–027) | Game footage from 2024 SMU season: vs. Nevada (opener), vs. Florida State, vs. Louisville (#22 ranked), vs. Stanford; routes, catches, YAC, blocking |

| CBS Texas — "RJ Maryland Heeds The Advice Of His Former Dallas Cowboy Dad, Russell" (CBS 11 DFW) | 28 frames (highlights_2_001–028) | Feature segment from high school era; home interview with RJ and father Russell Maryland; Southlake Carroll (Dragon Football) highlights; archival Cowboys footage of Russell Maryland |

What The Film Shows

Route Running — **Grade: B (6.5/10)**

Maryland's route tree in the available highlights skews toward what you'd expect from a receiving TE used as a seam weapon: vertical stems, seam routes, in-breaking crossers, and red-zone fades. What he does well, he does very well. Against Florida State, he ran a clean corner route to the back of the end zone, positioned his body between the defender and the goal line, and high-pointed a lofted ball with exceptional spatial awareness (highlights_009). That's not luck — that's understanding leverage and sight lines. Against Stanford, he appears to have run a seam or post route that put him behind the secondary for a deep touchdown score (highlights_025–026), showing the ability to threaten vertically from an inline alignment. Against Louisville in the 3rd quarter of a tied ACC game, he was targeted on what looked like an intermediate crosser or angle route, catching and then running through traffic at midfield (highlights_020). He gets a clean release off the line, which matters — he doesn't look like he's fighting through press coverage, and at the college level against ACC defensive backs, that's a positive data point. Route diversity is limited in the sample (highlight tapes will always bias toward receptions), but there's enough here to project competent execution at multiple levels. Not a nuanced route technician yet, but he has the traits to be coached into one.

Athleticism & Speed — **Grade: B+ (7.5/10)**

This is Maryland's best attribute and the one that separates him from the typical Day 3 TE prospect. A recorded 11.33 in the 100m as a high school junior doesn't lie — that's legitimate speed. On film, it shows. In the season opener against Nevada (highlights_002–003), Maryland out-ran defensive backs in the open field on what became a massive catch-and-run, confirming his top-end speed translates. The Stanford deep touchdown (highlights_025–026) demonstrates he can create separation from TE alignment on vertical routes, not just when lined up as a flanker. He covers ground with a fluid, long stride that doesn't look labored for a player his size. His track background (11.33 100m, 23.21 200m, 50.68 400m) also suggests functional conditioning and body efficiency. The one caveat is real and unavoidable: he suffered a torn ACL in October 2024, and knee injuries can blunt explosion in unpredictable ways. If he tests sub-4.55 at the combine, this grade goes to an A-. If there's a meaningful post-surgical drop in burst, the floor is lower.

Hands & Catching — **Grade: B+ (7/10)**

Maryland is a hands catcher. The highlight that stands out most is the high-point end zone reception against Florida State (highlights_009) — arms fully extended overhead, tracking a difficult lofted ball into his hands while a defender trails from behind. His hands are well outside his body frame, not body-catching, and his eyes stay locked on the ball through contact. That catch requires a wide catch radius and concentration in a high-pressure moment. The Nevada opener (8 catches, 162 yards) demonstrates reliability as a volume target — you don't put up those numbers unless you're winning consistently at the catch point. His hand size and arm length (visible in the overhead shots) suggest a catch radius that will translate to the NFL. His ball security after the catch also looks clean — you see him running through traffic with the ball secured with an outside arm. No significant drops visible in the film sample.

YAC & After Contact — **Grade: B (6.5/10)**

Maryland's best YAC moment in the sample comes from the Louisville game (highlights_020): he catches a pass and runs at midfield in a tied-game situation with Louisville defenders converging from multiple angles. His running style is north-south with a forward lean — he's not a "make-you-miss" runner in space, but he drives through contact and picks up extra yards. The Nevada opener (162 yards from 8 receptions = 20.3 yards per catch) tells you there was significant YAC involved. His open-field frame is athletic enough that he can slip tackles, but at 224 lbs. he probably wins more through contact than around it. For a TE, this is adequate-to-solid YAC ability. Not Christian McCaffrey after the catch, not a traffic cone either.

Blocking — **Grade: C+ (5.5/10)**

This is the grading challenge: highlights don't show you blocking, and a TE's blocking grade at this point in the evaluation is necessarily incomplete. What I can say from the film: Maryland aligns in-line in traditional Y-TE positioning on run plays, most clearly vs. Louisville (highlights_016) and Stanford (highlights_024). His coaching staff clearly trusts him to do the job — you don't put an athletic receiving TE in-line on 1st & 10 in big games unless he's functional enough to avoid killing plays. A chip-and-release rep vs. Louisville (highlights_023) shows willingness to keep his body between the rusher and the QB before releasing. His 224 lbs. frame is the legitimate concern — at that weight, sustaining blocks against Big Ten and SEC-caliber edge defenders at the next level will be a challenge. He can get away with technique and leverage at the college level; at the NFL level, 224 lbs. will get thrown around. If he adds 10-15 lbs. and maintains his athleticism, this grade moves up. Right now it's the biggest question mark in his profile.

Scheme Fit — **Grade: A- (8/10)**

This is where Maryland's dynasty value is concentrated. He's not a "fits one scheme" prospect — he's exactly the moveable chess piece that modern NFL offenses are built around. He has the speed to align wide and create matchup problems against linebackers and nickelbacks. He has the in-line capability to function in 12-personnel sets where he needs to block on early downs. His receiving upside from the slot mirrors what teams want from the Travis Kelce-type usage that now defines the position — a TE who can come out of any alignment and be a genuine route option rather than an afterthought. The fact that SMU listed him as a WR/TE co-starter in 2025 while he was returning from an ACL confirms the coaching staff sees him as a flex weapon, not a traditional Y who stays attached to the formation. For dynasty purposes, the ideal landing spot is a vertical passing offense that uses 12 personnel and wants to create seam stress. He profiles in that system as an early-to-mid career TE2 with upside to push TE1 status.

Strengths Summary

Concerns & Risks

NFL Comp

1. Noah Fant (circa 2019 Denver Broncos)

Fant was a freak athlete at TE — legitimate speed, flexible alignment, threat at all three levels — who came out undersized (~249 lbs.) and needed to prove his blocking would hold. Maryland's athletic profile maps almost exactly: elite speed for the position, capable hands, versatile alignment, question marks about sustained in-line blocking due to frame. Fant was a Day 1 pick; Maryland is a Day 2 prospect, but the receiving profile and athleticism ceiling parallel.

2. Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals)

McBride's arc is instructive: a mid-major (Colorado State) receiving TE who won at multiple levels, wasn't a flashy top-round pick, and developed into one of the more reliable pass-catching TEs in the league. Maryland's 2023 first-team All-AAC season (54/518/7 TDs) mirrors that kind of volume production. The difference is Maryland is faster but smaller. If Maryland comes back healthy and adds weight, his ceiling looks like a McBride-type career producer — not a Travis Kelce, but a reliable TE1 on a good team.

Bottom Line

R.J. Maryland is a legitimate NFL tight end prospect with top-end athleticism that you just don't find very often at the position — a track-certified sprinter who also has the hands, size, and alignment versatility that every modern offense is hunting for. The ACL tear is the obstacle between him and a legitimate Day 2 slot, and the combine will do most of the work of resolving it. In dynasty, you're buying into the post-recovery upside: a player with 2023-level production ceiling (54/518/7 TDs) who still has to prove his knee health and add weight, but who profiles as a legitimate TE1 on the right team in the right scheme if those boxes get checked.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 68/100

Projected Pick: R3, Pick 70-95

Film Score: 68 / 100

Scout 2 Report: R.J. Maryland, TE, SMU

The Short Version

R.J. Maryland's got the pedigree and the receiving flash, but don't buy the hype as a complete TE—he's a big slot mismatch guy who struggles inline. Contrarian take: Dad's NFL bloodline inflates expectations; he's more gadget than grinder, mid-round at best for dynasty stash.

Measurables & Background

| Trait | Detail |

|-------|--------|

| Height | 6'5\" |

| Weight | 245 lbs |

| Age (2026 Draft) | 21 |

| School | SMU (2024 freshman standout, prior Southlake Carroll HS star) |

| Background | Son of Russell Maryland (Cowboys DT, Super Bowl XXVIII champ). Explosive HS recruit turned college producer despite limited snaps. No verified 40/speed; looks long and fluid. |

Film Sources

| Source | Frames | Notes |

|--------|--------|-------|

| SMU Football 2024 Highlights | highlights_001 to _027 | Game action vs Nevada, FSU, Louisville, Stanford—pure receiving/block snippets. |

| CBS Texas Feature | highlights_2_001 to _028 | HS clips, family interviews, dad advice—context over tape. |

Film Analysis

Focused on key TE traits: Hands, Route-Running, Blocking, Release/Separation, Athleticism/YAC, Contested Catch. Grades independent of consensus (which loves his bloodlines too much).

Overall Grade: B

Strengths

Concerns

Dynasty Outlook

Day 2 pick (R3-4). Year 1: Slot/Move TE rotational (fits pass-happy like KC/SF). Year 2: TE2 flex if blocks improve. Year 3: TE1 upside in gadget role, but bust risk if can't block. Stash for 2-3yr window on contender needing redzone/YAC.

NFL Comp

Bottom Line

Maryland's a receiving-first TE who'll dazzle in highlights but frustrate O-line coaches. Pass if you need a blocker; grab if your scheme screams motion/YAC. Solid but no superstar.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 78/100

Projected Pick: R3, Pick 70-90

Film Score: 78 / 100