Niner Noise
FanSided

Why the 49ers Should Draft Quarterback Chad Kelly

By Robert Smith

Oct 29, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) passes the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Auburn Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) passes the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Auburn Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for the 2017 NFL Draft, numerous mock drafts have the team selecting a QB with the second pick. Niner Noise discusses why the Niners should be patient and grab Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly to be the team’s future starter.

Chad Kelly. He is polarizing. To some scouts, he is a character-issue guy that some NFL teams won’t touch.

To others, he was a young punk who made some mistakes early on, but has reversed course and did everything asked of him, as Ole Miss QB’s coach Dan Werner stated recently.

But the one thing both sides would most likely agree on is his undeniable talent.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

The nephew of former Buffalo Bill QB great Jim Kelly, Chad Kelly certainly inherited his uncle’s arm talent.

And while there is a gunslinger mentality to his game, the results while at Ole Miss are impressive. Playing in perhaps the toughest conference in college football in the SEC, he has totaled 50 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and 6,858 yards in two-plus seasons.

If not for the ACL injury suffered in a game against Georgia Southern this past November, those numbers would be even better.

The NFL has seen their fair share of character issue guys come into the league and live up (or down) to the reputation.

Johnny Manziel and Aaron Hernandez come to mind.

But there are also some that have shed the negative stigma and excelled.

Cam Newton may occasionally show some immaturity, but he has steered clear of trouble off the field en route to a Super Bowl appearance and an MVP trophy. Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston thus far has avoided any distractions or issues after numerous issues that marred an otherwise terrific college career at Florida State.

Kelly has had his share of issues during his college career. After being dismissed from Clemson’s program for conduct detrimental to the team in 2014, Kelly committed to the Ole Miss program in December of that year. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested for hitting a bouncer in a nightclub in Buffalo. He was also involved in a brawl at his kid brother’s high school football game after coming to his defense during a fight.

Since being enrolled at Ole Miss, Kelly has been described as the consummate gym rat and extremely competitive and heady.

Those attributes are not always easy to find. Talent is one thing. But the desire to be great is sometimes overlooked in comparison to the measurables. Kelly has them both.

The 49ers will undoubtedly be in the market for at least one QB, and more than likely a second or even a third to fill out the roster.

I have been steadfast in my opinion that the No. 2 pick overall is too high a pick for any of the QBs in this year’s draft class.

If the team were to move down and acquire a second first-round pick, they could perhaps take a Deshaun Watson or Mitch Trubisky if they were still on the board.

But chances are, the team will try to get a plug-and-play player at No. 2, and either trade, sign or draft QBs to stack the position.

It seems now a trade for Kirk Cousins may be more tricky after the Redskins tagged him for 2017.

The Niners would have to give up quite a bit (perhaps as much as two first rounders) to acquire Cousins, which may be too rich for GM John Lynch’s taste. With Kelly not invited to the combine for the above stated reasons, his stock will either rise or fall with his interviews and pro-day.

Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

If Kelly were to be there in the third or fourth round, it would be a terrific value pick and low risk option to get perhaps the most physically gifted QB in this year’s draft.

He wouldn’t be an expensive option as a fourth rounder. As an example, Dak Prescott has an average annual salary of $680,848 as the Dallas Cowboy’s fourth rounder last year. And considering the team will supplement the position with other QBs (Matt Schaub, Brian Hoyer or Mike Glennon, for example), they wouldn’t feel rushed to throw Kelly into the fold right away.

More from Niner Noise

And with Shanahan’s history of success with QBs (R Gill, Cousins, Schaub, Ryan), Kelly would be getting some of the best coaching available for a quarterback.

For argument’s sake, let’s say the Niners take Reuben Foster or Jonathan Allen with the No. 2 pick and a receiver with their second round pick. They then could use a third- or fourth-round pick on Kelly as a quarterback prospect, sign Schaub to bridge the gap and provide veteran leadership and professionalism for Kelly to immolate.

If for whatever reason it did not work out, the team still has a compensatory fourth-round pick to fall back on and use on a player at another position.

No harm, no foul, basically.

Next: 5 NFL Draft Picks in Play for the 49ers in Round 1

Low risk, high reward for a team in desperate need of a franchise signal-caller. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, meet Chad Kelly.