04/29/2012 - Dennis Kelly, the 6-8, 333-pound offensive tackle from Purdue who the Eagles selected in the fifth round, was a three-year starter at the Big-10 school, yet wasn't one of the 330-plus prospects invited to the scouting combine in February. Asked how he could have been overlooked, Andy Reid said, "When I put on the tape, I wondered the same thing. (Former Eagles director of player personnel and now Colts general manager) Ryan Grigson was still with us at the time. He had played at Purdue and was a former offensive lineman there. And I'm going, `OK, this is a good football player right here.' It's just one of those things. You see one or two guys a year go through that (not get invited to the combine)." - The Sports Xchange
A three-year starter at tight end in high school, Kelly made the move to the offensive line at Purdue and was a fulltime starter on the blind side by his sophomore season.
In 2010, Purdue tied a school record by rushing for 200-plus yards in five consecutive games. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick as a senior, but didn't manage an invite to the scouting combine despite his significant amount of experience and good size for the position.
At his March 9 pro day, Kelly lifted 225 pounds 30 times and ran a 5.33 40 to go along with 4.91 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.73 seconds in the three-cone drill.
Analysis
Strengths: Good football pedigree with the bloodlines, experience and toughness. Three year starter. Good height and natural size to work with. Good lateral quickness. Keeps his head on a swivel and plays smart. Has done a nice job adding weight and has room to continue to fill out his frame. Strong presence in the huddle with leadership traits.
Weaknesses: Tight hips and doesn't play like a natural bender, too often locking at the knees. Struggles to quickly adjust and change directions. Needs to spend more time in the weight room and add bulk to his frame. Not a glass eater and needs to use his hands more aggressively to jolt at the point of attack. Needs to develop more of a mean streak to eliminate defenders.
