Elway called Jim Kelly to vet nephew before drafting him

Chad Kelly's family tree helped smooth out the end of a turbulent experience at the NFL draft.

Before the draft started, Kelly was considered a mid-round pick by some. However, the quarterback was passed over during the first two days of the event and then caught sleeping by television cameras Sunday.

The 23-year-old is the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, and that link helped him this weekend.

Denver Broncos general manager John Elway was selected 13 picks before the elder Kelly in the 1983 NFL Draft and battled against him during his playing career. Elway called his good friend for reassurance about the prospect's character before selecting the Ole Miss product with the last pick in the draft.

"I called his uncle and he said he's a good kid," Elway said, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The last pick of the NFL draft is usually dubbed "Mr. Irrelevant," but the moniker doesn't seem to fit this year, given his relatively high-profile status.

Now it's up to Chad to impress the Broncos' coaching staff without nepotism on his side.