The Green Bay Packers handed out over $1 million in guaranteed money to the team’s 10-player undrafted free agent class, including over $250,000 to rookie edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly, the crown jewel of the class in terms of money spent.
Per Over the Cap, Kelly got a $15,000 signing bonus and $247,500 in guaranteed salary, giving him a guaranteed total of $262,500. No other undrafted free agent in the Packers’ class got more, although guards Dillon Wade and Josh Gesky and receiver J. Michael Sturdivant got $215,000 guaranteed.
While $262,500 in guaranteed money might not be substantial in a world with a $300 million salary cap, it’s notable in this context considering sixth-round pick Domani Jackson got a little over $272,000 and sixth-round pick Trey Smack got $206,532 in their respective rookie deals.
Overall, Kelly ranks among the top undrafted free agent edge rushers in terms of guaranteed money in 2026. He will receive more guaranteed money than several late Day 3 picks from the 2026 draft.
Kelly made a pre-draft visit to Green Bay, and many draft analysts saw him as a draft-caliber player on Day 3. The guaranteed money in his deal suggests heavy interest from the Packers and likely competition from other teams during the initial free agent frenzy following the draft.
Kelly, who is still 21, produced 17.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks over the last two seasons at UCF. A Miami transfer, Kelly was Dane Brugler’s No. 37 ranked edge rusher in the 2026 draft class, and Brugler gave him a seventh-round grade.
From Brugler: “Nyjalik (Nai-juh-leak) Kelly grew up in the Oakland Park, Fla., area with his mother (Nyecha), a track coach. His daughter (Masunni) turns 3 in June 2026. Kelly grew up around the game (his great-uncle and grandfather both played at Florida A&M). He attended Dillard High School, where he posted a combined 25 sacks over his junior and senior years. A four-star recruit, Kelly had an impressive offer sheet and committed to Florida State before flipping to Miami. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2023 and entered the transfer portal. He landed at UCF and led the team in forced fumbles as both a junior and senior. Kelly has a super-long frame, and his arms measured the longest among the 35 edge rushers invited to the NFL combine. He uses his extension to stack blocks and battle through traffic versus the run, although wild tackling attempts lead to misses. He also uses his length to long-arm blockers and set up bull-rush attempts. However, he doesn’t show much of a rush plan and relies more on hustle than skill, which leaves him out of position.”
Could Kelly surprise this summer at training camp?
The Packers lost Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare at edge rusher this offseason, creating open roster spots and the need for more competition at the bottom of the depth chart. Kelly and fourth-round pick Dani Dennis-Sutton will be big pieces of the competition puzzle, while 2025 fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell and 2025 fifth-round pick Collin Oliver likely ascend into bigger roles in Year 2.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers give over $250K guaranteed to UDFA edge usher Nyjalik Kelly
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
