A long-armed pass rusher who followed a Miami-to-UCF transfer path before landing in Green Bay as one of the Packers' most-watched undrafted signings.
Nyjalik Kelly is a Fort Lauderdale native who started his college career at Miami before transferring to UCF, where he developed into a disruptive edge presence for the Knights. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft but signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent, arriving with rare length that stood out at the combine.
Path to the league
A four-star recruit out of Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Kelly was named Broward 8A-6A Football Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after piling up 58 tackles, 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He signed with Miami, played two seasons there, then transferred to UCF for his final two years of eligibility. Kelly went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Packers, receiving the full 2026 practice squad salary in guarantees.
Career highlights
Across 24 games at UCF, Kelly started 23 and recorded 8.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, an interception and 99 total tackles. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors and, at the 2026 NFL Combine, posted more than 35 inches of arm length, the longest measurement among edge rushers at the event.
2025 season recap
In his final college season at UCF, Kelly posted 46 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, an interception and eight quarterback hurries, adding a career-high three pass breakups. His production helped him land a UDFA deal with Green Bay after going unselected in the 2026 draft.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Nyjalik Kelly
- ESPN: Nyjalik Kelly player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- defense
- College
- UCF
- Hometown
- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
- Age
- 21
- Status
- active
