Ryan Kelly was a three-star recruit coming out of Lakota West HS in West Chester, OH. Rivals ranked him as the #6 center in the 2011 HS class. He was recruited by Florida State and Michigan, but signed with Alabama instead. Kelly was redshirted his freshman season, but later became a full-time starter for three of his four eligible seasons. As redshirt senior, Ryan Kelly earned Consensus first team All-American honors and won the Rimington Trophy Award as the nation’s top center. He enters the 2016 NFL Draft as the consensus best center in the class.

Measureables

DOB 1993 Bench (225 lbs) 26 Height 6’4″ Vertical Jump 30″ Weight 311 lbs Broad Jump 8’7″ Arms 33.625 in 20 Yard Shuttle 4.59 sec Hands 9.625 in 3 Cone Drill 7.58 sec 40 Yard Dash (10 yd split) 5.03 sec (1.75 sec) 60 Yard Shuttle DNP

Scouting Report

Calls out protections pre-snap

Picks up blitzes through A-gap.

Strong awareness for blockers.

Fights to maintain position.

More athletic with a quick burst off LOS than his combine numbers indicate.

Explodes off line of scrimmage and hits with hands extended.

Keeps driving feet at the defender with his drive block. Needs to add bulk, though.

Great hand placement in pass blocking.

Excellent snapping placement. Quick snap-to-set ability.

Needs to be more patient in space. Overruns his target.

Plays through the snap.

Good at interior pin blocks allowing guards to pull.

Lowers head occasionally in run blocking.

Made a lot of plays due to hustle and toughness versus talent.

Durability concerns. Missed 6 games over career.

Pass Blocking

Ryan Kelly has a quick snap-to-set motion immediately ready after the snap to attack the defender. He initiates contact with his hands and stays loose and flexible.

Kelly does a good job of keeping his eyes upfield picking up blitzes through the A-gap. His lateral agility is on display here as he drops well into his set and then can absorb the running blitz of the linebacker.

Kelly shows a willingness to block in pass protection and stays patient mirroring his pass rusher if they try to use space to create a path to the quarterback.

Kelly struggles against powerful nose tackles that can get their length into his chest plate and drive him backwards.

On screens, Kelly shows his mobility to get down the field quickly and is a more than willing blocker in space. Unfortunately, he tends to be overeager and frequently misses his target in space or lunges. He needs to show more patience play with a “basketball” mentality, especially against athletic defensive backs.

Article continues on the next page looking at his run blocking ability.