On Saturday, two former BYU players heard their names called in the NFL Draft. Jack Kelly was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the draft. Then, tight end Carsen Ryan was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round.
Kelly and Ryan were the first BYU players to be drafted since Kingsley Sauamataia was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It was also the first time BYU has had multiple players in the same draft since the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jack Kelly was projected anywhere from the third round to the seventh round heading into the draft. He fell to the sixth round where the New York Giants scooped him up. He is the first BYU player to be drafted by the New York Giants since Bryan Kehl was picked by the Giants in 2008.
After the selection, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake released a statment.
"I think Jack is going to have an amazing career in the NFL," Coach Sitake said. "Jack is one of the most versatile linebackers in the country. Not a lot of linebackers can pressure the quarterback like he does in the pass rush but also drop in coverage and play his zones and man coverage with such great skill. He is also a complete player in the run game, whether playing at the line of scrimmage or at linebacker depth. He reminds me a lot of what Fred Warner can do."
Carsen Ryan became the first BYU tight end to be selected in the NFL Draft since Dennis Pitta was picked by the Baltimore Ravens in 2010. He is also the first BYU player to be drafted by the Browns since Sione Takitaki in 2019.
Ryan's selection came as a bit of a surprise as he was not invited to the NFL Combine. Chase Roberts and Will Ferrin were invited to the combine along with Jack Kelly, but Roberts and Ferrin eventually signed as undrafted free agents.
Kalani Sitake described Carsen Ryan as "an offensive coordinator's dream."
"Carsen Ryan is a complete tight end," Sitake said. "He is both a good receiver who can catch with the athleticism to get open and a tough-nosed player who can block. He is an offensive coordinator's dream because he can use him in so many different ways. I think he's going to fit perfectly in the NFL."
Ryan had a breakout season after transferring from Utah to BYU. He tallied 620 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. He came to BYU with 400 career receiving yards in 3 seasons.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/byu as Two BYU Players Heard Their Names Called in the 2026 NFL Draft .
