Malcolm Kelly, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect

Wide Receiver Junior Oklahoma Ht: 6’ 4" Wt: 225 lbs. Strengths: Savvy, Natural Abilities, Burst, Strength, Size Weaknesses: Long Speed, Explosiveness Pro Comparison: Larry Fitzgerald Speed: 4.68

            Much like the Cardinals star receiver, Malcolm Kelly is not the fastest receiver on the field but he understands how to use his hands and body and is surprisingly quick.  The junior from Oklahoma does not have outstanding statistics but his yards/catch shows that he is adept at getting the most out of his touches much like Fitzgerald. 

            Kelly missed the combine and Oklahoma’s Pro Day due to injury but apparently he is now healthy and is ready to go for personal workouts.  He has a history of injuries, both major and minor, though his history cannot be described as severe.  His game is not based on speed but if he suffers a loss in speed he will find life very difficult.  He turned in his best statistical season in 2006 with 62 catches for 993 yards and 10 TD.  For his career, Kelly has 144 catches, 21 TD and averaged 15.9 yards/catch. 

            I rank Kelly behind other receivers but you have to respect his achievements on the field.  Oklahoma is not known for its passing attack so chances were sometimes few and far between but he was always up to task when called upon.  Those in the know, know that stats are not always indicative of a players impact and that is especially true for Kelly.  While I’m not sold on Kelly being a superstar, I think he can have a long career thanks to his feel for the game.  He makes up for his lack of top end speed with great quickness and a savviness that is apparent every time he touches the ball.  He understands how to use his size to create separation and can stun defenders long enough to get a step ahead.  He doesn’t break away, but he doesn’t usually get caught either.  He can really leap for balls and does a great job of adjusting to it in the air and shielding the defender with his body.  His greatest attribute has to be his hands.  Kelly catches everything thrown to him, period, and is not afraid to go up in traffic or take a hit.  He dropped only one ball in 80+ passes thrown his way.  One of the smartest, most mentally prepared receivers available and will win over coaches with his work ethic and toughness.  He appears to be a complete receiver who just lacks elite speed, but plays very big, is more technically sound and more sudden than many other prospect. 

            His lack of speed is worrisome, but he is explosive and if any receiver can overcome that in this draft, it’s Kelly.  Most of his catches are contested and that will only get worse in the pros.  He can be a little inconsistent but it’s rare to see him drop a ball.  Despite his great route running ability he tends to round out some routes and will have to run every route to perfection at the next level.  His lack of explosion is a big hindrance but I don’t believe it will keep him from carving out a career. 

            Other than his lack of speed it is tough to knock Kelly.  I downgrade him because I just don’t see him as a team’s number 1 receiver but I know he will have a long career and has the mental makeup to play right away.  Any team in need of a sure handed pass catcher should not hesitate to pull the trigger on him.  I don’t think Oakland at #4 should be considered too high for him.  It’s probably the worst offense in the league and they are most likely starting the untested JaMarcus Russell, the Raiders need to leap at finding a reliable receiver.  After the Randy Moss/Jerry Porter fiascos, Kelly is the perfect fit.  You can’t discount someone with his work ethic and mental toughness. 

Update:

Kelly skipped the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine with a quad injury, but had his Pro Day workout on March 9th: Twenty-five NFL teams sent representatives to Norman, Oklahoma and Kelly weighed in at 6-3 7/8 and 224 pounds with a vertical jump (32 inches), broad jump (9'9"), short shuttle (4.24) and three-cone drill (7.0) which were very good and Kelly performed quite well in drills, showing good burst in and out of his breaks and caught the ball very well, however his 40 yard dash was horrible. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.75 and 4.68 seconds.

I wouldn't penalize Kelly to much for the slow 40 time, he had only been running for two weeks after recovering from a quad injury. Once 100% healthy I would expect him to run in the 4.55 range, which is not blazing fast, but Kelly has size, strength, explosiveness and great hands. I still expect him to be drafted in the late first, early second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Kelly was not happy with his 40 time, he had arranged with Oklahoma strength coach Jerry Schmidt to run on the Astroturf infield at the indoor track, but Oklahoma officials changed it to field turf.

He said he was surprised when he arrived and found out he'd instead be running on the artificial turf inside the Sooners' indoor football facility.

"I already had everything set up for where I want to do it at," Kelly said. "I get out here and it's a whole different deal." Kelly said he recently ran 40-yard dashes in 4.5 and 4.47 seconds on a firmer surface in Atlanta, where he has been training. "People want to say surface is surface, but it's a lot more to it than that," Kelly said. "You have to think about how much ground time you have running on this mushy surface here and how much ground time you have on Astroturf.

"Just a little bit of time could mean a whole lot of draft money."