Mel Kiper Chat Highlights

Here are some highlights of Mel Kiper’s most recent draft chat.

My thoughts are below Kiper’s comments.

David (Cleveland)

How does your grade on RG3 compare to other QB’s in the last 10 years?

Mel Kiper

(1:28 PM)

He’ll be right in line with the top guys who have come out. He had the injury at Baylor and came back from that. I never thought he was a projection to another position, but there are some who thought he would be a WR before this year. But he’s over 6-2, he’s got great leadership. But he’s also not Andrew Luck. In the red zone, Luck was at 72 percent and RGIII was at 54. Luck, second half of games, 75.1 percent, against ranked teams 73 percent. He didn’t throw an INT in the red zone nor in third and long.

Matt (Houston)

Where would we be talking about Barkley and Landry Jones in this year’s draft? Would they all be top 10 picks? Would that move RGIII down the board?

Mel Kiper

(1:30 PM)

No. Landry Jones would not have. He wasn’t even a first round pick this year. He needed to go back to Oklahoma, wisely, he did. Barkley would have been right in there with RGIII. Barkley goes back and instead of potentially being the third QB taken, he has a great chance to be the No. 1 pick next year.

Agree 100 percent on Landry Jones. Jones had a really poor year and needs to bounce back and show better poise next year in the pocket. During the season I had Barkley rated ahead of RGIII. I like Barkley’s anticipation in his routes and ball placement. Barkley throws a really catchable football and throws his players open. He’s poised and has a great chance to be the number one pick overall next year.

ames (Wash DC)

You have Lavonte David going #22 to Cleveland. Is he an inside or outside LB? Is he best fit for a 3-4 or 4-3?

Mel Kiper

(1:34 PM)

He’s an OLB. He’s like a Jonathan Vilma. He’s so instinctive. He made a ton of plays. You go back to the OSU game. What helped him was being 233 at the combine. You love the tape. The eye in the sky never lies. He’s tremendously instinctive. A lot of people think he’s a second round guy, but I went with my gut. There are a lot of teams that could look favorably on David.

I actually like Zach Brown more than David. I think David is a safe prospect, a guy who will be productive in the N.F.L. but he’s a weakside linebacker who I don’t think he can be special. Zach Brown can be special. David is a fine round two pick, but I can’t see him making it into the first round.

ohn (Wisc)

Where do you have Zach Brown going? Is he a good fit for the 3-4 OLB or is he more of a 4-3 OLB?

Mel Kiper

(1:38 PM)

That’s the great debate. Some think he’s more of a 4-3, some say 3-4. He had a very productive year at UNC. I think he’s probably a third round type guy, maybe second. Definitely a Day 2 prospect.

Well back to Zach Brown. I disagree here and still think Brown is worth a first round pick.

Lamont (Chicago)

Can Vontaze Burfict be a steal in the 3rd round?

Mel Kiper

(1:45 PM)

You keep hearing 4-5 round on him now. His stock has plummeted, probably the most of any player in the draft. He’s a Day 3 guy now. He’s a junior coming out early. He only ran a 5.0-flat 40. When you don’t control your emotions in college, look at how strict they are in the NFL. He might not even go in the third round.

Probably the most of any player in the draft is correct. Other than perhaps Ryan Broyles with his injury, but that’s not through a fault of his own.

John (San Diego)

Mel, what is the safest position to draft in the 1st round? Historically or your opinion nowadays.

Mel Kiper

(1:51 PM)

Usually OL are pretty safe. They usually come in and do pretty well. Outside of Jason Smith to St. Louis, most of the OT have done very well. Recently, QBs have turned out to do pretty well as of late. There will always be some misses. Think about the Rivers, Roethlisberger, Manning draft. Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith – he just led them to the NFC title game, despite his critics. Cam Newton. Overall the QBs for the most part, coming into the NFL as first round picks have done pretty well recently. Usually RBs transition quickly. You don’t necessarily want to take a RB in the first round. You can find great RBs in the sixth, seventh round, even as free agents. You can be better as a rookie than as a sixth year guy.

That is interesting that the quarterback position has become kind of a safe pick. The really talented quarterbacks have been throwing the ball all over the field in high school and college and with the new rules favoring the passing game the transition is easier. However, that the issue of whether or not young quarterbacks can be championship caliber early has yet to be really tested. The guys who are still winning the Superbowls are older veterans for the most part?

Mel Kiper

(1:52 PM)

DT produced a lot of busts for a while there. WR has been up and down a little in the draft.

Mike (Pilot Point, TX)

It seems this draft is loaded with Wide Receivers. What seperates Blackmon, Floyd, Wright from say Toon, Fuller, Streeter?

Mel Kiper

(1:58 PM)

Overall, the WRs in this draft are average. It didn’t really materialize as a position. A lot of mixed reviews. Not a lot of guarantees. There will probably only be 3 WRs go in the first round. Blackmon, Floyd, Kendall Wright. Stephen Hill is a possibility. Tommy Streeter is in the second round discussion. Mixed opinion on him. Some of the speed guys didn’t run as well at the combine as you thought they would. WR is a very hit or miss position.

I’m glad Kiper is with me on this one. People fall in love with the WR class, but to me there are only three guys in this class who can make the quarterback better. The rest of the WR in this class to me will be as good as the quarterback the play with are, and not true difference makers. They’ll help out a little bit, but not change the fortune of a quarterback or franchise.

What do you think?

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