July Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 14 DE Nyjalik Kelly

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster, and today we’re at No. 14, DE Nyjalik Kelly.

THE BIG PICTURE

The Miami Hurricanes have a couple of the ACC’s top returning defensive linemen in DE Akheem Mesidor (who can also play some tackle) and DT Leonard Taylor. So some might find it interesting that we are ranking a second-year guy who didn’t start last year, Nyjalik Kelly, in our top 15 entering fall camp. The reason? We are hearing great things about Kelly off the spring and into this off-sesaon. He put on 10 pounds from last year, when he had four sacks and looked good in a limited amount of reps (183 per Pro Football Focus). PFF also noted he had 10 QB hurries in that playing time, so he was very productive getting after the QB. This fall Kelly will have to beat out Jahfari Harvey, who shared starting time last year, as well as some other talented personnel including true freshman Rueben Bain. We think Kelly will persevere and be the starter, and he has a good combination of size and quickness off the ball. He can be a disruptive force.

THE ANALYSIS

In Year 2 at Miami it’s expected Kelly will make a big jump up after getting his feet wet last year as a true freshman backup defensive end. The former four-star recruit out of Ft. Lauderdale Dillard had 11 tackles and four sacks while playing in every game. Per Pro Football Focus he graded out at 63.5 on the year (70 is considered a good grade) with a stellar 82.7 tackle grade, a 63.1 run defense grade and 65.4 pass rush grade. It’s going to be a very interesting fall camp battle to see who starts opposite Akheem Mesidor, and regardless look for Kelly to carve out a niche for himself on defense (with Mesidor also likely to play some reps inside as he did a year ago). We think he enters fall camp as the favorite to be the other starter at end.

THE PROJECTION

Look for Kelly to get plenty of reps this coming season, and Miami needs disruptive forces off the edges that demand double teams and cause all kinds of problems for opposing offenses. The Canes already have that with Mesidor and Taylor, so if another lineman shows up and dominates that would really make this Lance Guidry defense tough to figure out. Kelly showed some flashes of being able to dominate last year, and if he can do that consistently he’s a guy that can push well past five sacks and double-digit tackles for loss. If not he’ll be passed by on the depth chart by other talent at end, and there is quite a bit of it. Remember, this is still only his second year of college ball for Kelly, and he has a very bright future.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

Kelly bulked up almost 10 pounds from the end of the season to the spring, pushing to 250, and this summer he worked to continue to get bigger, stronger and faster. It will be a very interesting fall battle mainly between Kelly/Harvey and Bain to determine the starter opposite Mesidor (with guys like Chantz Williams/Cyrus Moss/Jayden Wayne/Collins Acheampong probably a bit behind them). Will Kelly emerge? We think so, but he has to show consistent playmaking ability.

THE QUOTE

“Last year I felt I was moving scared because it was college, I was moving a little slower. This year I have more confidence, so I’m able to know stuff faster. I’m ready to key off what I did last year to this year.” – Nyjalik Kelly

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