Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly is ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ for 2017
The final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, or ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ for this year, is Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
If he had gone pro after his junior season, when he led the SEC In passing yards (4,042) and touchdowns (31), Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly probably would have been no worse than a Day 2 draft pick. But he stayed for his senior season, and after a solid run in eight-plus games (2,758 yards and 19 touchdowns) a torn right ACL on Nov. 5 against Georgia Southern ended Kelly’s season early.
Kelly was cleared to do some on-field work at Ole Miss’ Pro Day, but a wrist injury ended the session early and subsequent surgery is expected to sideline him until training camp. So any concerns about Kelly, from past off-field trouble to his recovery from a torn ACL with wrist surgery added, moved him from a potential late-round flier into undrafted territory.
The Denver Broncos were on the clock with final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft on Saturday, No. 253 overall, and Kelly narrowly avoided becoming an undrafted free agent.
This year's "Mr Irrelevant" actually is very relevant: With the last pick, Broncos make QB Chad Kelly this year's annual "Mr. Irrelevant".
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2017
Kelly is the nephew of former Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly, who is a member of the noted quarterback draft class of 1983. So is Broncos’ general manager John Elway, the No. 1 overall pick 34 years ago, so it’s unique he made the younger Kelly the final pick of this year’s draft.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft grades: First three rounds
Kelly is not a threat to play as a rookie as he recovers from injuries, and a first-round commitment to Paxton Lynch last year points to him as the Broncos’ quarterback of the future. But things can change quickly (see Robert Griffin III post-2012), and if Kelly can get on the right track he could find himself with an opportunity to play much sooner than seems likely right now.