Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report
After winning a National Championship, Ryan Kelly is coming into the 2016 NFL Draft as the best center in his class.
He is one of the reasons Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy and the Crimson Tide were able to win their third National Championship in five years.
Kelly took home the Rimington Award in 2015, which is awarded to the nation’s top center. He was also the co-recipient of the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy (top blocker) along with Arkansas’ Sebastian Tretola.
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Measurables
Height: 6’4
Weight: 311 lbs
Hand Width: 9 5/8”
Arm Length: 33 5/8″
Combine Results
40 Yard Dash: 5.03
Bench Press: 26 reps
Broad Jump: 103″
3 Cone Drill: 7.58 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.59 seconds
Strengths
Ryan Kelly does a lot of good things up front. He snaps the ball very cleanly and pops right up to engage the defensive tackles. He uses his strength to latch on to defenders and push them out of the running back’s rushing lane.
He reaches the second level with ease and has the awareness to continue downfield and laying out big blocks.
Weaknesses
Despite starting 35 games in his career, Kelly has missed six games in two years with separate mild knee injuries. He also dealt with a concussion last year and missed the majority of a game.
Despite having decent quickness, Kelly isn’t necessarily explosive. He has proven to overcome that missing trait, but time will tell if he can maintain his consistency at the NFL level.
Final Verdict
If the right team comes along during the draft, Ryan Kelly could find himself being selected in the first round. His ability to create large running lanes and throw out big blocks will make teams in the late first round needing a center heavily consider him.
With the current landscape of the late first round, expect Ryan Kelly to be taken in the early second. Unless a center-needy team trades up/down in the first round, Ryan Kelly will be waiting a couple more hours to hear his name called. Regardless, he is sure to make any NFL team (especially the running backs) happy.