BYU fans can rejoice as linebacker Jack Kelly and tight end Carsen Ryan were both selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Kelly was a sixth-round pick by the New York Giants, while Ryan went one round later and will begin his NFL journey with the Cleveland Browns.
Getting drafted is the first step. Carving out an NFL career comes next.
And as BYU football fans know all too well, situation matters when it comes to succeeding in the NFL. In recent years we've witnessed Zach Wilson get thrown to the wolves with the New York Jets as his once promising NFL career got derailed before it left the station. Another case in point has been running back Tyler Allgeier play in the shadow of Bijan Robinson's long shadow with the Atlanta Falcons.
So how are the situations looking for Jack Kelly and Carsen Ryan as they prepare to head for their new football homes?
Jack Kelly - New York Giants
While it's excellent that the Giants saw enough talent and potential in Jack Kelly to invest a sixth round pick in him, Kelly will be joining a crowded linebacker room.
The Giants first round pick this year Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall. While Reese is classified as a linebacker, he projects more of an edge rusher at the NFL level, but that's a role Jack Kelly can also play. The Giants already have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter locking down the edge spots, so Reese will be an interesting fit, let alone Jack Kelly.
According to ESPN, Reese lined up at a number of different linebacker spots last year at Ohio State. 56% of his snaps came at outside linebacker, 38% at inside linebacker, and 6% at defensive back. That profile closely mirrors where Jack Kelly can play. Throw in the fact that the Giants already have Micah McFadden as proven, additional depth at weakside linebacker, and Kelly won't be handed any snaps. He's going to have to earn it on a team with a deep linebacker corps.
A successful rookie season for Jack Kelly will most likely be to make the 53-man roster and play a lot of special teams.
Carsen Ryan - Cleveland Browns
Ryan being selected near the end of the draft was something of a surprise as most mock drafts had him going undrafted this year. He clearly has NFL potential, though, and would have been a priority free agent if he wasn't selected.
There's one train of thought that it's almost better to not get drafted than go in the seventh round. As a seventh round pick the odds are already stacked against you and you're pretty expendable if you're not a good fit on a roster. Undrafted free agents can choose what they think will be their best opportunity to make at least a practice squad, if not the 53-man roster.
As for me, I'm 100% in the "it's better to get drafted" camp, so this is good news for Carsen. By getting drafted it shows the Browns saw enough potential in him to draft him. It also gives the front office and coaching staff extra incentive to help him "make it" so they look smarter as talent evaluators.
As far as Ryan's situation in Cleveland goes, he was one of two tight ends the team drafted this year after selecting Cincinnati's Joe Royer in the fifth round. The Browns double-dipped at tight end because they need both quality and depth at that position. Incumbent starter Harold Fannin Jr. will keep his starting gig, but there are not other TEs current only the roster who are entrenched on the depth chart.
Cleveland is a great situation for Carsen Ryan. With a strong showing in training camp and the preseason, he could realistically find himself seeing the field during his rookie season in specialized packages based on down and distance.
The opportunity is there in Cleveland. Carsen Ryan just needs to sieze it.
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