The anchor of Alabama’s offensive line from the past three seasons is headed to Indianapolis.
Former Crimson Tide center Ryan Kelly was selected by the Colts with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He becomes the first player from Tuscaloosa to have his name called on Thursday night (Day 1).
Kelly joins rare company. Not only is he the first center to be selected in the first round of the draft since the Dallas Cowboys took Wisconsin’s Travis Frederick at No. 31 in 2013, but just the fourth player at his position to be removed from the board within the first 32 picks over the last six years.
Earlier this week, Fox Sports reporter Bruce Feldman called Kelly the “most underrated” prospect in the draft.
“Kelly is worth considering in the top 20,” Feldman wrote. “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.”
The 6-foot-4, 311-pound West Chester, Oh. native was a consensus first-team all-SEC pick and the Rimington Trophy Award winner during his senior year in 2015, where he led the way for Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry and protected quarterback Jake Coker on the way to a national championship win.
According to his student-athlete profile, Kelly did not surrender a single sack last season and allowed only four hurries. He missed eight assignments in 1,012 snaps for a success rate of 99.2 percent, had 20 knockdown blocks, and committed just one penalty all year with no holding calls.
Kelly will have an opportunity to compete for a starting job right away with Indianapolis. Quarterback Andrew Luck has been pummeled by defensive players of late, so the Colts hope Kelly will help protect him.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
