2017 NFL Draft: Ole Miss Chad Kelly Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly has the pedigree and talent to have a successful NFL career, but there are also some red flags that can hold him back.
Chad Kelly had a good year in his first season as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback. He made solid decisions and showed the ability to attack the deep part of the field. His combination of above average arm strength, solid mobility and accuracy are what stands out about his game.
Kelly plays with good balance in the pocket and ties his body to his eyes when going through is progressions. Despite Ole Miss utilizing a spread attack, there were plenty of opportunities for Kelly to make multiple reads.
He has a quick release that allows him to work the screen game and underneath routes. However, his ability to deliver an accurate deep ball is more valuable skill.
Kelly shows a knack for getting proper loft on the ball which allows his target to run underneath the pass. He shows just enough arm strength and timing that he’s able to keep receivers from over running his throw.
His accuracy isn’t limited to the deep ball as he has good overall ball placement. Kelly consistently throws his target open putting them in position to pick up yards after the catch.
The biggest concern surrounding Kelly is his maturity and off-field behavior. These off-field problems resulted in his dismissal from Clemson’s football team. Luckily, Kelly had a trouble-free year at Ole Miss with another opportunity to prove himself this year.
Another area to watch is his height measurement as there are times he appears to struggle seeing over the offensive line and has a lot of passes bated at line. He also needs to do a better job remaining focuses as there are occasions where he doesn’t play with enough urgency.
Current Draft Range: 2nd Round