Nyjalik Kelly

Nyjalik (Nai-juh-leak) Kelly grew up in the Oakland Park, Fla., area with his mother (Nyecha), a track coach. His daughter (Masunni) turns 3 in June 2026. Kelly grew up around the game (his great uncle and grandfather both played at Florida A&M). He attended Dillard High School, where he posted a combined 25 sacks over his junior and senior years. A four-star recruit, Kelly had an impressive offer sheet and committed to Florida State before flipping to Miami. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2023 and entered the transfer portal. He landed at UCF and led the team in forced fumbles as both a junior and senior. Kelly has a super-long frame, and his arms measured the longest among the 35 edge rushers invited to the NFL combine. He uses his extension to stack blocks and battle through traffic versus the run, although wild tackling attempts lead to misses. He also uses his length to long-arm blockers and set up bull-rush attempts. However, he doesn’t show much of a rush plan and relies more on hustle than skill, which leaves him out of position. Overall, Kelly is a raw player in both phases, but his long arms and consistent effort are reasons to be encouraged that his best football is ahead of him.