The New York Giants know they have to have the football gods shine down on them when it comes to finding players and talent. After so many years of fruitless drafts, it’s about time they got some luck.
Well, that may have happened this year in the sixth round of the NFL draft when they took defensive tackle Bobby Jameson-Travis, offensive tackle J.C. Davis, and linebacker Jack Kelly.
“Super productive player,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen said of Kelly after the draft. “He was playing off the ball for BYU. At Weber State, he played off the edge. He’s got 30-plus career sacks. So a lot of versatility in him, and also the ability to play special teams.”
Kelly is one of those players that teams crave to have at the end of their roster and in their locker room. Just a hard-nosed player who is going to leave it all out on the field.
“I know the coaches, and I know the brand, and I know what the expectations are. I know the fans and what they want, and they’re going to get it from him,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake told Giants.com. “Maybe they don’t know enough about him, but if you go watch the film and you go see his personality and you see what he’s all about, he’s a perfect fit for New York.
“It’s going to be a great partnership. And then I think more than anything, he’s going to give everything he has, and that’s what you and the fans want there, and the high expectations of tradition. He’ll come in here, and then he’ll make a splash, but he’s not a high-maintenance kid, man. He’ll work hard, and you’re going to get your return on investment, definitely for sure.”
Kelly, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder who can play multiple linebacker slots as well as special teams, is the prototypical John Harbaugh player. He has that motor and a team-first, win-at-all-costs philosophy. He will fit wherever the Giants put him.
“The guy was ready to do anything. He can play running back if you need him to,” Sitake said of Kelly. “I mean, he’s a world-class BMX rider, you know, so those guys are crazy. You just put it right on him, and you say, ‘Hey, we need you to do this, you can do it.’ He’s a great athlete. He could have played running back if we wanted him to. He could have played tight end. He does things like block for punt return. And he goes hard all the time.”
Kelly also gives the Giants not only depth at linebacker and on teams, but in the pass rush, where he excelled at the collegiate level. He was third in the Big 12 last season with 10 sacks and fourth in tackles for a loss (13.5).
“He can pass rush – that’s one thing that he’s really good at – but I think it overshadows a lot of the stuff that he does well in his zone drops and in his man-to-man coverage, how he plays the run,” Sitake said. “He runs sideline to sideline. He can play any position. He’s capable enough. He has a great football IQ, and he can play any of the linebacker positions, whether it’s outside or inside.”
“If you look at the ratio of his blitz to sack, it’s really high,” continued Sitake. “But if you look at the ratio of him being able to make an impact on the drops in the zones and even man-to-man coverage, he does a great job at all of that. The kid’s a great young man, and I’m really fired up. The sky’s the limit for him.”
The Giants are hoping they’ve finally caught that lightning in a bottle with these late-round picks.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: BYU’s Kalani Sitake explains why Jack Kelly is ‘perfect fit’ for Giants
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
