BYU’s Jack Kelly selected by New York Giants in sixth round of NFL draft

TL;DR

Jack Kelly from BYU was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round as the 193rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He is the first BYU player selected since 2024 and the first linebacker from the school drafted since 2019.

Key points

Jack Kelly selected by New York Giants
Drafted in sixth round, 193rd overall
First BYU player drafted since 2024
First BYU linebacker drafted since 2019

Jack KellyNew York GiantsBrigham Young University CougarsKingsley Suamataia

Brigham Young University Cougars linebacker Jack Kelly (17) forces a fumble from Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson (15) during the first half of the game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

BYU’s one-year absence from the NFL draft ended Saturday.

Jack Kelly, the Cougars’ star linebacker the past two seasons, was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round with the No. 193 overall pick of the 2026 NFL draft, becoming the first BYU player taken since offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia was a second-round pick in 2024.

Kelly is also the first former Cougar linebacker to be drafted since Sione Takitaki was a third-round pick in 2019, one year after Fred Warner also went in the third round.

“Kelly has explosive speed and plays both instinctively and physically against the run, although his stiff movements could limit his upside in coverage versus NFL athletes,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote about Kelly in his “The Beast” NFL draft preview. “At the very least, Kelly will be a net positive in the locker room and a force on special teams.”

Kelly (6-foot-2, 242 pounds), who prepped at Kearns High, followed former BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill from Weber State to Provo after three standout seasons with the Wildcats, including a redshirt year.