Name: Chad Kelly
School: Mississippi
Position fit: Developmental QB
Stats to know: Recorded the 45th-highest percentage of turnover-worthy throws in 2016 (out of 146 qualifiers)
What he does well:
- Natural whip arm with strong upper body
- Power to reach all levels with relative ease from any throwing position
- Athletic and tough runner. Picks up key yards with legs when the play breaks down or when facing early pressure
- Excels at driving the ball to the intermediate part of the field either in zone windows or tight coverage
- Good feel for back-shoulder throws
- Throws up the seams as well as any QB in the draft
- Most effective with play-action or coverage-defined reads in the short-to-intermediate passing game
Biggest concerns:
- Believes in his arm too much
- Struggles to see defenders in front of the throw at times
- Poor decision-maker late in the down
- Operates best with half-field reads; does not show patience in the pocket needed for pure-progression, full-field reads
- Tries to make “hero” throws too often
- Lacks pocket discipline when forced to play off rhythm
Bottom line:
Kelly’s arm talent is comparable with the best in this year’s draft. His consistently makes drive throws with accuracy down the seams and to the intermediate part of the field. With a creative and QB-friendly passing scheme at Ole Miss, he operated at a very high level with many coverage defined reads. Kelly is at his best when he can work off of play-action or with timing and rhythm throws. The confidence in his arm is a double-edged sword, forcing many throws late in the down he should not attempt. Kelly can be an effective backup in the right system, but the off-field issues leave him to be a developmental QB with a chance to eventually climb his way up a depth chart.
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