Nyjalik Kelly DE/EDGE UCF |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #9 SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.88 seconds (35%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 10/29/2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #9 | |
| SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.88 seconds (35%*) | |
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 10/29/2004 | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 81.1 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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72% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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70% |
| Pass Rush: |
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80% |
| Run Defense: |
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77% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#200
Position rank:
#47 (DL)
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| College Games: 41 College Snaps: 1382 | ||
ESPN RATING: 83/100
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247 RATING: 95/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.9 (97%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Braiden McGregor - Michigan |
|
92% |
| Ochaun Mathis - Nebraska |
|
89% |
| Patrick Jones II - Pittsburgh |
|
88% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A consensus four-star prospect out of Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nyjalik Kelly piled up 25 sacks across his junior and senior seasons and earned All-Broward first-team recognition from the Miami Herald while helping Dillard to a 12-1 record and a district championship. Standing 6'5" and weighing 250 pounds, he had his pick of blue-blood programs, choosing Miami over scholarship offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, and Texas. ESPN slotted him as the No. 119 overall prospect nationally, while 247Sports had him at No. 84 in their composite rankings.Kelly's time in Coral Gables was a mixed bag. As a true freshman in 2022, he saw the field in all 12 games and delivered four sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, tying for third on the Hurricanes in sacks. It was a promising debut, but his sophomore year was cut short by injury. He appeared in just five games in 2023, managing only eight tackles and one tackle for loss before missing the second half of the season. That lost development time loomed large, and Kelly eventually made the decision to transfer to UCF.
The move to Orlando breathed new life into his career. Under Scott Frost, Kelly immediately became a fixture on the Knights' defensive line, starting 11 of 12 games as a junior in 2024 and racking up 53 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. His senior season in 2025 brought another full slate of starts across all 12 games, 46 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles (both returned for touchdowns), his first career interception, and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. The West Virginia game stood out: eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble that helped the defensive line earn Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week recognition. Over two years at UCF, Kelly compiled 99 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles in 24 games. He accepted an invite to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, running his forty at 4.68 seconds.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Carries legitimate NFL length at 6'5" with arms that allow him to keep blockers at bay and control the point of attack before they can latch on.
- Excellent long-arm move that he times off the snap to jolt tackles backward and create early separation on the edge.
- Good speed for his size, and he flashes the ability to flatten and turn the corner when his rush plan is clean and decisive.
- Attacks the outside hand of tackles with a sharp chop technique, prying open the edge and forcing quarterbacks to feel pressure from the blind side.
- Reads quarterback pocket movement well and adjusts his rush angle, working back underneath when the passer climbs to keep plays alive.
- Generated consistent pressure throughout his UCF career, finishing his senior year with 26 total pressures including hurries, hits, and sacks.
- Ball awareness is better than you'd expect from a defensive end; his interception against North Carolina and three pass breakups in 2025 show active hands at the line.
- Reliable fumble producer who creates turnovers at key moments, forcing five fumbles across his two seasons at UCF with multiple resulting in defensive scores.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Considerably undersized at 250 pounds for an every-down defensive end, and his frame does not suggest he can carry much more weight without losing agility.
- First step off the ball is just average; he rarely wins with pure explosion and instead relies on length and timing that can be neutralized by athletic tackles.
- Inside counter moves lack any real bite, making him too predictable for offensive tackles who can sit on his outside rush and wall him off.
- Tackling regressed noticeably in 2025, with missed tackle numbers climbing and too many whiffs in space that allowed extra yardage after contact.
- Sack production dropped significantly in his final college season despite steady pressure numbers, which raises real questions about his ability to finish at the NFL level.
Scouting Report: Summary
Kelly is one of those players who looks the part at first glance. The height, the arm length, the speed, the combine invite. You watch him on tape and there are flashes where you squint and see a guy who could carve out a role as a rotational edge rusher in the right system. That long-arm move is a real weapon, and when he gets his rush plan right, he can bend and threaten the quarterback's blind side. The forced fumbles and interception show instincts that go beyond just being an athlete, and there is enough there to keep you watching.The problem is what happens between the flashes. Kelly struggles to win with power at the point of attack, and at 250 pounds, asking him to hold up against NFL-caliber run schemes is a tall order. His get-off is pedestrian, so he is not going to win with speed alone either. The drop in sack production from his junior to senior year, even while generating more total pressures, tells a story about a player who can get close but not close the deal. Add in the uptick in missed tackles and a counter game that is still raw, and there are legitimate concerns about whether his pass-rushing ability translates against professional offensive linemen who will sit on his primary move and dare him to beat them inside.
Kelly fits best in an even-front scheme where he can line up as a base end and use his length to set the edge on early downs, with his pass-rush snaps coming in sub packages where he can pin his ears back and attack upfield. He is going to need a patient coaching staff that will invest time in developing his hand repertoire and building up his core strength. The ceiling is a rotational defensive end who contributes on third down and creates some splash plays, but the floor is a camp body who cannot hold up at the point of attack. His combine performance will matter, because the athletic testing could reinforce his upside or expose the physical limitations that show up on film.
Nyjalik Kelly percentiles vs other Defensive Ends (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Nyjalik Kelly (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
319.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
75.0
*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.