Jack Kelly LB BYU |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #17 PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/28/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.57 seconds (85%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #17 | |
| PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | |
| Last Updated: 03/28/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.57 seconds (85%*) | |
| Overall Rating: | 78.7 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
|
73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
|
59% |
| Pass Rush: |
|
77% |
| Run Defense: |
|
67% |
| Coverage: |
|
58% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#271
Position rank:
#26 (LB)
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| College Games: 49 College Snaps: 2442 | ||
247 RATING: 82/100
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ty'Ron Hopper - Missouri |
|
93% |
| Nick Hampton - Appalachian State |
|
85% |
| Curtis Jacobs - Penn State |
|
83% |
Drafted: ROUND: 6 - Pick Number: 193 (NYG)
Draft Profile: Bio
Weber State gave Jack Kelly his start after a modest recruiting profile out of Kearns High School in Utah. He recorded 6.0 sacks as a redshirt freshman and then led the Big Sky with 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2023, posting 56 total tackles and 12.0 tackles for loss. That production earned him a four-star transfer rating from 247Sports and a move to BYU.Kelly fit right away in Jay Hill's defense, collecting 5.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss during his first Big 12 season in 2024. The College Football Network named him Defensive Newcomer of the Year. His 2025 campaign raised the bar: 10 sacks in 12 games, 13.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown off a blocked field goal. That sack total was BYU's highest since Bronson Kaufusi posted 11 in 2015, and Kelly set the program's post-2000 record with 14 quarterback hurries.
A two-time captain at BYU, Kelly earned midseason All-American honors in 2025 and finished with 49 career games. He was named linebacker practice player of the week at the Senior Bowl, and his combine produced a 9.83 RAS score, ranking 57th among linebackers tested over the last 40 years.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Wins with a sharp inside dip off the edge and keeps his feet moving through contact.
- Reads the snap count well on designed blitzes and times his A-gap entry cleanly.
- Jolts climbing guards with his initial strike and knocks them off their landmark.
- BYU used him as a QB spy often and he closed on scramblers in a hurry.
- Combine verified the burst you see on his rush tape, 37-inch vertical and 10'5" broad.
- Plays with some dog in him, finishes through the whistle and competes every snap.
- Comfortable standing up or with his hand in the dirt, lined up everywhere for BYU.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lunges and whiffs in space too often, especially when breaking down on backs in the open field.
- Gets walled off by linemen who sink their hands into his chest because of his short arms.
- Eyes drift to the backfield against zone runs and he loses his gap assignment laterally.
- Gave up too many easy catches underneath in zone drops, late to feel routes behind him.
- Turns his shoulders and overruns the play against outside zone, saw it repeatedly on the Texas Tech tape.
- Same run-fit mistakes show up on his 2025 tape that were there in 2024, no real growth.
Scouting Report: Summary
Kelly is a pass rusher first, second, and third. When he pins his ears back off the edge or shoots an interior gap on a designed blitz, you see a player who belongs on an NFL field. He dips and bends around the corner with real juice, times the snap well, and his closing burst shows up play after play. The combine backed it up. The problem is everything that happens when the offense is not in an obvious passing situation.On early downs, the tape gets uncomfortable. Kelly lunges at ball carriers in space and whiffs at a rate that will get a linebacker cut. When blockers get their hands on him, he struggles to work free because his arms are short and his counter moves are limited. Against wide zone, he turns his pads, loses his gap, and ends up chasing from behind. The Texas Tech game was the worst of it, but you see the same tendencies across multiple weeks. In coverage, he is late to read routes developing behind him and gives up easy completions underneath.
His NFL home is on the field for third-down rush packages in an even-front defense, with immediate special teams value across four phases. The Senior Bowl showed his rush ability holds up against better talent. But asking him to play early downs right now is asking for trouble in the run game and coverage. There is a roster spot here for a team that wants a designated rusher who doubles as a core special teamer. That is his ceiling unless tackling and coverage take a real step forward, and four years of tape suggest that step is not coming.
Jack Kelly percentiles vs other Linebackers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jack Kelly (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
201.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
28.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.