What draft experts said about Packers UDFA edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly

The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign UCF edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL draft.

Kelly was a pre-draft visitor to Green Bay. The 21-year-old ranked as the 37th best edge rusher in the draft class and received a draftable grade from Dane Brugler of The Athletic, making Kelly one of the top undrafted signings by the Packers in 2026.

As a true freshman at Miami, Kelly produced 4.0 sacks over 12 games. He transferred to UCF following a knee injury -- which cost him most of the 2023 season -- and then created 8.0 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, five pass breakups and an interception across 24 games over the last two seasons. Both of his forced fumbles in 2025 were returned for touchdowns.

Per PFF, Kelly had 26 pressures and 26 stops in 2025 and 23 pressures and 27 stops in 2024. He posted strong grades, with a 78.7 in 2024 and 75.9 in 2025.

Kelly looks the part at 6-5 and 256 pounds, with massive hands (10 1/2") and the longest arms among edge rushers at the combine (35 1/8"). While Kelly had impressive jumps (37" vertical, 9-11 broad), his athletic testing was let down by a poor 40-yard dash (4.88) and slow agility finishes (4.76 short shuttle, 7.62 three-cone). His Relative Athletic Score is 5.79 out of 10.0, so right about average for an edge rusher given his size.

What draft experts said about the Packers undrafted free agent edge rusher:

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

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.