Denver Broncos training camp battle: Backup quarterback

Chad Kelly (Second season, age 24)

Paxton Lynch’s only competition for the primary backup position with the Denver Broncos is going to be former Ole Miss star Chad Kelly.

For those who have been living under a rock, Kelly is the nephew of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, and his college career did not get off to a good start as he was expected to be a star at Clemson before getting kicked off the team.

After starring and winning a JUCO National Championship at East Mississippi Community College, Ole Miss came calling and Kelly helped propel the Rebels to an incredible run in 2015, beating Alabama along the way.

There are not many teams that have done that in the Nick Saban era.

Kelly’s 2015 season was remarkable and he stuck around for 2016 with lofty NFL Draft aspirations before injuries hindered his production along with the loss of key supporting players offensively like Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil.

Despite those losses, Kelly had a productive senior season but injuries prevented him from working out for NFL teams.

With the risk of injury and another level of risk in terms of his off-field issues in the past, Kelly was nearly undrafted. The Broncos selected him with the final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.

He redshirted in 2017 and has gotten himself into good shape while also making a positive impact in the Denver community.

When Kelly is healthy, he’s a unique type of player with a very strong arm and great mobility. He may not be able to do the same things he could in 2015 after a major knee injury, but he’s got great football intangibles and can make plays.

Kelly put out some great tape in college and will probably be much better competition for Paxton Lynch than many expect him to be.