From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on BYU ILB Jack Kelly.
No. 17 Jack Kelly/ILB/BYU – 6015, 240 pounds (RS-Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Jack Kelly 6015/240 9 1/8 31 1/8 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.57 1.61 4.19 7.12
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
10’5″ 37″ 19
The Good
– Thick, condensed frame ready to hold up to NFL rigors
– Above average overall athletic ability for the position
– Solid play strength
– Good short area burst and change of direction
– Very good interior blitz abilities
– Good use of hands in coverage to punch at catch point
– Versatile enough to align out on the edge or cover TEs in the slot
The Bad
– Inconsistent motor; sometimes red-hot, other times loses steam chasing plays downfield
– Doesn’t trust his speed to finish plays; hesitation takes him out of action too often
– Just adequate at finding gap leverage in run defense
– More of a thumper than a wrap-up tackler; prone to missed tackles
– Doesn’t utilize his hands effectively to disengage from blocks
– Below average eyes in coverage
– Overly aggressive pursuit angles
Stats
– Career: 191 total tackles (43.5 TFL), 31.5 sacks, 2 INT, 9 PD, 9 FF in 53 games played, 1 special teams TD
– 2025: 55 total tackles (13.5 TFL), 10 sacks, 1 PD, 2 FF in 12 games played, 1 special teams TD
– Career snaps: 2,440 defense, 407 special teams (5 units)
– 2025 snaps: 658 defense (128 DL, 481 ILB, 40 slot, 9 corner), 61 special teams (5 units)
– PFF: 128 total pressures, 40 missed tackles (18.5 mis%), 76.1 reception percentage allowed on 92 targets for 747 yards and 3 TDs, 2 penalties in career
– First-Team All-Big 12 in 2025
Injury History
– Suffered shoulder/bicep injury in early October 2025 and missed the following game (played through injury most of the year)
– Injured other shoulder Oct. 25, 2025 and was ineffective the next game vs. Texas Tech
Bio
– Turned 23 years old in January
– Originally a three-star prospect out of Kearns High School in Kearns, Utah
– Four-star transfer prospect in 2024
– Spent first three seasons at Weber State before transferring to BYU for final two
– Team Captain both years at BYU
– Grew up as a BMX bike racer from age 3, won his first championship as a sponsored racer at age 5
– Started football in high school after years of focusing on BMX
– 2026 Senior Bowl participant
Tape Breakdown
Kelly’s short-area burst, at least when he’s confident about his angle and eyes, is really good. His hyper-aggressive angles sometimes burn him, but his closing speed is evident on tape. I can’t tell you how many plays he almost made in just the four game I watched.
That translates into being an effective blitzer up the middle, or out on the edge. He had more sacks than a lot of pure edge rushers do in college, and his pressure rate is off the charts on his pass rush snaps.
Here’s another near-play that didn’t quite land. He sometimes doesn’t fully trust his athleticism and burst, and second guesses his angles. I am pretty sure he could have at least tripped up the ball carrier here, if not tackled him by diving. Instead, he adjusted his angle late and took himself out of it.
The tackling in general is so-so with a tendency to lower his shoulder more than wrap up. You can’t blame him here, bringing down a 316-pound, 5-11 tight end (yes, you read that correctly). I actually credit him for getting this guy on the ground and the second effort to grab at his feet.
He is praised for his non-stop motor, but I found plenty of examples that left me wanting. There are times where it feels like he checks out and jogs when he sees no path to making the play. In a lot of ways, he has the short-area motor of a pass rusher, but the body and position of an ILB.
His play strength and downhill instincts result in a lot of nice thuds in the hole.
In coverage, he has the athleticism to keep up, but his eyes let him down sometimes. He got caught looking back at the quarterback here and lost track of his guy.
His instincts in man coverage are good overall. He aligns as a wide corner here and carries his man downfield pretty well. He even timed the punch well based on the WR flashing his hands, but he barely missed.
Conclusion
Kelly is an intriguing, multi-tool athlete capable of stopping the run, rushing the passer and covering routes in the pass game. Unfortunately, the least-used tool at his position (rushing the passer) is probably what he’s best at. His eyes sometimes betray him in the pass game. In the run game, pursuit angle and tackling issues plague him. He should make a solid special teamer while he develops and has the tools to become an every-down linebacker if all goes well. He’s worth keeping an eye on as the Steelers had a pre-draft visit with him.
At his best, he can turn into a Jamie Collins-like player at the next level. Or he could get stuck on the roster bubble as a special teamer like Buddy Johnson.
NFL Projection: Mid Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 7.3 (Rotational Player)
Grade Range: 7.1-8.2
Games Watched: vs Utah (2025), at Cincinnati (2025), at Colorado (2025), vs TCU (2025)
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