Dennis Kelly

A three-year starter at tight end in high school, Kelly made the move to the offensive line at Purdue and was a fulltime starter on the blind side by his sophomore season. In 2010, Purdue tied a school record by rushing for 200-plus yards in five consecutive games. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick as a senior, but didn't manage an invite to the scouting combine despite his significant amount of experience and good size for the position. At his March 9 pro day, Kelly lifted 225 pounds 30 times and ran a 5.33 40 to go along with 4.91 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.73 seconds in the three-cone drill.

strengths

Good football pedigree with the bloodlines, experience and toughness. Three year starter. Good height and natural size to work with. Good lateral quickness. Keeps his head on a swivel and plays smart. Has done a nice job adding weight and has room to continue to fill out his frame. Strong presence in the huddle with leadership traits.

weaknesses

Tight hips and doesn’t play like a natural bender, too often locking at the knees. Struggles to quickly adjust and change directions. Needs to spend more time in the weight room and add bulk to his frame. Not a glass eater and needs to use his hands more aggressively to jolt at the point of attack. Needs to develop more of a mean streak to eliminate defenders.

Three-year starter at tight end

all-area and team captain as senior

honorable mention all-area his junior year

coach was Dave Mattio

also played basketball.

Given name is Dennis Andrew Kelly

born Jan. 16, 1990

organizational leadership and supervision major

enjoys sports, music and movies

brother, Tim, played football at Eastern Illinois.