While Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson gets most of the love among the interior offensive linemen, center Ryan Kelly has proven himself to be among the top players at his position in the last few years.
As the former first-round pick enters a contract year in 2020, he was ranked by ESPN as the ninth-best interior offensive lineman in the NFL, which includes centers and guards.
Here’s what they said about Kelly:
Kelly has something that most centers don’t.
“Power,” an AFC exec said. “He can move people off the ball like a guard.”
After facing durability concerns early in his career, Kelly played 16 games in 2019 and allowed one sack in 1,018 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus data.
The Colts believe Kelly is past his injury issues and that this year can take his career to a new level. He’s the type of player Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor will gladly run behind.
Kelly had a bout with injuries in 2017 and 2018 but he is seemingly past those concerns. Kelly played all 16 games in 2019 and continued to show why he’s an asset.
Whether it’s moving people off the ball in the run game or solidifying the interior as a pass protector, Kelly has proven himself plenty throughout his young career with the Colts.
As training camp approaches, it will be interesting to see if any news about a potential contract extension is in the works. Players like Kelly don’t typically hit the market and given the continuity on the offensive line, the Colts would be wise to secure their anchor for the next few seasons.
Kelly has been one of the top centers in the NFL when healthy and will be looking to continue that narrative in 2020.