The last pick in the NFL Draft is affectionately called Mr. Irrelevant, but the 2017 final pick, Denver’s Chad Kelly, is turning into Mr. Essential. The second-year quarterback just got promoted to backup for the Broncos, and the coaching staff is getting more and more comfortable with the 24-year-old.
After spending all of last year on the reserve/non-football injury list after having offseason wrist surgery, the nephew of Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly, began Broncos’ training camp as the third stringer, behind starter Case Keenum, and No. 2 Paxton Lynch.
He got to see his first action in the team’s first preseason game last Saturday against Minnesota. He finished 14-of-21 for 177 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He appeared to have a better game than Lynch, and coach Vance Joseph promoted Kelly to the backup role earlier this week.
“He deserves a chance to be the two right now,” Joseph said. “I’s really more about what Chad’s done, honestly. He’s played with poise, he’s played with confidence, he moved the ball for us Saturday. He’s done that since the spring. It’s his turn to be the 2, it’s his turn.”
The Broncos are not expected to make the playoffs this year. They are a 33/1 pick to win the Super Bowl, and 14/1 to win the AFC Championship. The are picked last to win the four-team AFC West at 11/2.
On Cusp of History
There have been six quarterbacks taken as the last pick in the draft since the league began in 1936. George Haffner in1965, Randy Essington in1984, Larry Wanke in 1991, Ronnie McAda in 1997, Chandler Harnish in 2012, and Kelly. None have had the success Kelly has had after one preseason game. Of the other five, only Harnish made a roster, and he only played in one game, without throwing a pass.
If Kelly stays as the backup, he has the opportunity to possibly start a game if Keenum got injured. There were 20 starters that were injured at some point of the 2017 season, so Kelly has a realistic chance to be the first quarterback picked last in the draft to start an NFL game.
Kelly isn’t thinking that far ahead, and was appreciative, yet humble, about being named the backup.
“I wouldn’t have gotten there if it wasn’t for my teammates,” Kelly said of the promotion. “Those guys made the plays, they got me in the right protections and the guys with the ball in their hands made plays. Like I said, it’s not just me that got to that position. It’s those other guys around me that helped me get there.”
Lynch on Way Out?
The Broncos drafted Lynch with their first pick in the 2016 draft, and have been frustrated by his lack of production. He struggled in the same game Kelly thrived in, going 6-for-11 for 24 yards and an interception.
The fans have voted who they think should be Keenum’s backup. They were cheering Kelly and booing Lynch. A day after the game, a fan set up a GoFundMe account to buy out Lynch’s contract.
Still Lynch was upset that he had been demoted, questioning Joseph’s decision. Joseph said this is a “performance league” and Lynch hasn’t shown that he deserves to be No. 2.
“He is upset, he didn’t like it,” Joseph told reporters. “He wants to know why, and he’s got to play better. It’s as simple as that.”
