Ahead of April's NFL Draft, former UCF edge rushers Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly turned in strong performances at the NFL Combine to get their pro careers started on the right foot.
Industry projections see Lawrence as an early Day Two selection, with some analysts even seeing a fit for him in the first round. Kelly's industry projections see him as a potential late-round selection, or a priority undrafted free agent.
While Lawrence and Kelly were two of the few remaining players remaining from the 2024 roster on Scott Frost's 2025 team in Orlando, the Knights head coach enjoyed the chance to work with both and praised the role they played in the beginning of his rebuild.
MORE: Scott Frost: Familiarity An Advantage For UCF Football This Spring
"Just happy to be able to coach those guys," Frost said of his former players in a recent appearance on the Big 12 Today radio show. "Malachi is a really cool story. He was hurt when I got here and didn't go through spring ball, so we didn't know exactly what we had there. And man, he really approached this year with a business-like approach and just kept improving throughout the year. If I'm being honest, I had no idea he could run that fast or jump that high. But the way he played, I shouldn't have doubted him. So really excited to see where he ends up. And, you know, Nyjalik is just as talented, a little younger. I'd say that's the only difference...both were great guys to work with and and made us a better team."
Frost also noted in the appearance that Kelly had hoped to return for another season, but his hopes for a fifth season were shot down by the NCAA this offseason. Kelly spent his first two college seasons at Miami in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Kelly appeared in four games, then suffered a season-ending injury after a handful of snaps in a fifth.
"Nyjalik actually wanted to come back. NCAA denied him a redshirt year. He played in four games his freshman year, plus 10 extra plays, and they wouldn't give him his redshirt because of those 10 plays."
At the NFL Combine, Kelly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds with a ten-yard split of 1.69 seconds. He also measured a vertical jump of 37 inches and a broad jump of 9'11". Lawrence ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds with a ten-yard split of 1.59 seconds. He also measured a vertical jump of 40 inches with a 10'10" broad jump.
The 2026 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 23 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and runs through April 25. UCF are seeking a third consecutive year with a player selected after two former Knights were selected in each of the last two drafts. Running back RJ Harvey (Broncos, Second Round) and defensive back Mac McWilliams (Eagles, Second Round) were selected in 2025. The last UCF defensive lineman to be selected in the NFL Draft was Kalia Davis (49ers, Sixth Round) in 2022.
For more UCF coverage, follow Knights247 on X, Instagram, and Facebook!
Sign up for our FREE UCF Knights Newsletter