Chad Kelly became Mr. Irrelevant when he was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 253rd overall pick in the NFL Draft, but he may have ended up being Mr. Undrafted Free Agent if not for the support of his uncle.
Kelly, who had his invitation from the NFL Combine rescinded because of off-field issues, is the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. Before the Broncos drafted Chad on Saturday, John Elway called Jim to get his opinion.
“I called his uncle, and he said, ‘He’s a good kid,'” Elway revealed, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “I said, ‘OK, that’s all I need.’ I trust Jim with that. Obviously, there’s been some history there, but we felt comfortable. Chad understands what he’s been through and is ready to take this step and realizes the step that he’s taken is different than when he was in college. We’re full of confidence that Chad’s going to be able to come up here and understand the situation he’s in.”
Chad Kelly’s talent is undeniable, as he led Ole Miss to impressive wins over Alabama, LSU and Auburn during a 2015 season in which he threw for 4,042 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. That’s likely the reason Broncos head coach Vance Joseph referred to him as “my favorite quarterback in the draft.” And like Elway and Jim Kelly, Joseph is confident Chad has gotten past the issues that got him kicked out of Clemson early in his college career.
“He’s made some childish mistakes in the past, but he’s learned from that,” Joseph said. “I’m comfortable with it.”
There obviously wasn’t much risk in taking Kelly with the last pick in the draft, and the wrist injury that resulted in his Pro Day being called off is probably just as big of a concern as the off-field issues. If you look at the way Jim Kelly threw his support behind Chad with an Instagram post recently, it’s clear he is confident his nephew will silence the critics.
