Former Alabama player named NFL draft's 'most underrated' prospect
Former Alabama offensive lineman Ryan Kelly is widely considered as the top center prospect in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, but Fox Sports reporter Bruce Feldman believes the 6-foot-5, 300-pound West Chester, Oh. native is an underrated commodity.
So much that he comes in at No. 1 on his list of the most underrated prospects in this year’s draft.
“I know NFL teams usually don’t select centers in the first round,” wrote Feldman. “Dallas took Wisconsin’s Travis Frederick at No. 31 in 2013 as the last center to go as a first-rounder. Before that you have to go to Mike Pouncey going at No. 15 for a center to crack the top 30.
“Kelly is worth considering in the top 20,” he continued. “He is smart, tough and way more athletic than he’s given credit for. He was the rock of the Tide offense the past few years and folks inside that program told me last week they think he could play right tackle in the NFL. My prediction is he will end up in at least a half-dozen NFL Pro Bowls.”
Those are strong words coming from one of the most well-respected reporters in the game.
Kelly was named Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller’s No. 1 center for the 2016 class, comparing him to the Atlanta Falcons’ Alex Mack and projecting him to be a Week 1 starter when he debuts as a rookie this season.
“On tape, Kelly runs the roost. He’s a confident, tough, mean center who looks for a fight on every down,” said Miller. “Put a nose tackle over Kelly, and he’ll push and scrape to get them out of the hole with leverage and hand placement. Kelly was a driving force in the massive inside holes Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry saw routinely. Thanks to his power and his lateral movements, the A-gap at Alabama in 2015 was a freeway.”
CBS Sports draft expert Pete Prisco predicts Kelly being selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 29 overall pick on Thursday night.