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Broncos make QB Chad Kelly a surprising 'Mr. Irrelevant'

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Denver Broncos have selected quarterback Chad Kelly out of Ole Miss with the last pick (253rd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Kelly, the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, had been projected as a possible Day 2 pick solely based on his on-field talent, but because of injuries and off-field troubles, he slid to the very end of the draft.

The Ole Miss product initially went to Clemson in college but was dismissed due to conduct detrimental to the team and had to go to junior college. He was later arrested in December 2014 after a bar fight in Buffalo and rushed the field to partake in a brawl at his brother's high school game in October. As a result of his off-field issues, he was not invited to the combine.

Kelly joins the quarterback competition in Denver with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. He likely will not see much time on the field as a rookie, but could compete to be the starter if neither Lynch nor Siemian take a convincing hold of the job in 2017.

Chad Kelly Bio

Position: QB
School: Ole Miss
College Experience: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 224 lbs.

Strengths

  • Has excellent ability at adjusting arm angle to manipulate passing lanes.
  • Solid athlete that can extend plays with his legs and pick up chunk-yards when given the option.
  • Showed good ability to throw on the move, can be deadly in rollout opportunities.
  • Rose to the occasion in the biggest games consistently.

Weaknesses

  • Many teams have given Kelly red flag due to character concerns.
  • Worked almost exclusively from the shotgun.
  • Interception rate rose drastically when throwing to left side of field. (NFL)
  • Often opts for big play instead of taking much easier option.

Combine Results

NFL pulled Kelly's invite to combine due to disciplinary reasons.

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