Jack Kelly is the only Cougar from BYU’s 2025 squad with a better than 50% chance of hearing his name called in the NFL Draft this weekend, and one forecast sends him to the Indianapolis Colts late on Day 3. Pro Football Network ranks Kelly as the 189th prospect in the class and projects him to go in the sixth round at pick No. 214.
That evaluation fits a player with a clear role. Pro Football Network describes Kelly as a mid-to-late-round linebacker prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft with run-and-chase value and a proven production track record. The site also says he is best suited as an attacking SAM-backer, with immediate rotational and multi-phase appeal.
The numbers explain why teams may still see enough to like. Kelly posted a 15% missed tackle rate in 2025, and the scouting report says he can be exposed in coverage because of average fluidity, inconsistent zone feel and subpar ball skills. That leaves him more as a downhill fit than a linebacker who can be left on the field in every situation from day one.
The Colts are not the only possible match. The Bengals, Bills, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Jaguars and Rams are all listed as teams with needs in areas where Kelly could fit, but Indianapolis is the one team tied to a specific projection. For BYU, the interest is about more than one player. Only two Cougars were invited to the NFL Combine, and this is not a year loaded with highly touted prospects.
That wider picture has been thin for a while. Since Zach Wilson went second overall in 2021, only Kingsley Suamataia has been drafted higher than the fourth round, and he went in the second round at No. 63. Other BYU players expected to land undrafted deals include Carsen Ryan, Mory Bamba, Will Ferrin, Tanner Wall and Isaiah Jatta.
So the focus for Cougar fans shifts to Saturday, when Rounds 4 through 7 are held. If Kelly goes where this projection says he will, BYU gets a rare Day 3 draft pick and a linebacker with a path to early snaps in the right system.
