When it comes to the wacky world of NFL draft scouting, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. stands out.
First, he stands out because he's wackier than most. Second, well, he's Mel Kiper, Jr. He's been dealing in NFL draft knowledge for a long time. When he has something to say about the draft, people shut up and listen.
But this does not mean Kiper is beyond criticism. He knows his stuff, but he's not perfect. Especially not when it comes to his mock drafts. Every time he comes out with a new mock, a few picks stand out as being a little ridiculous.
Kiper's latest mock?(ESPN Insider required)?was released on March 7th, meaning it's a little dated at this point. Free agency has changed things drastically, and has made some of Kiper's selections obsolete.
But a handful of the decisions Kiper made still stand out as being highly questionable. Here's a rundown of the ones that I have issues with.
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5. Kansas City Chiefs pick Luke Kuechly at No. 11
Yes, the Chiefs could use a good inside linebacker. And no, I don't have a problem with Luke Kuechly.
But the Chiefs have bigger needs than inside linebacker. Their offensive line needs a boost, and they could stand to add some pieces to their defensive line. The Chiefs need to make sure they're set in the trenches before they can go chasing other needs.
There are going to be options for the Chiefs at No. 11, especially if they decide to go for an offensive lineman. As many as five offensive tackles could go in the first round this season, and a couple of them will be in play for the Chiefs when they're on the clock.
Finding defensive line help, particularly a new nose tackle, will not be as easy, but I don't think they would pass on Michael Brockers, who Kiper has going to Philadelphia Eagles at No. 15.
The Chiefs wouldn't be reaching for Kuechly if they took him, but they would be ignoring bigger fish that need frying.
4. St. Louis Rams pick Morris Claiborne at No. 6
Morris Claiborne is an outstanding athlete who projects as an elite cover corner. He's not falling out of the top 10 on draft day, even despite?The Times-Picayune's report that Claiborne needs wrist surgery.
At the time Kiper did his mock, Cortland Finnegan had not yet signed with the Rams, so Kiper had no way of knowing that the Rams were just days away from landing a solid No. 1 cornerback. If he'd known the Rams were going to sign Finnegan, Kiper probably would have changed things around.
However, even before the Rams signed Finnegan, cornerback was a secondary need compared to their need for a stud wide receiver, defensive line help and offensive line help. Instead of having the Rams going for the value pick, Kiper could have had them going for Michael Floyd, Dontari Poe, Michael Brockers or Riley Reiff.
Claiborne won't be a bad pick if the Rams happen to end up with him, but he wouldn't do the Rams much good if Sam Bradford's receiver options and protection are still weak, and their rush defense is still full of holes. Making sure those two areas are taken care of is of paramount importance for the Rams.
3. New England Patriots pick Janoris Jenkins at No. 31
I disagree with this pick for two reasons.
The first reason is because Jenkins is too talented to go as low as No. 31. He's got more upside than Dre Kirkpatrick and Stephon Gilmore, both of whom are already off the board by the time the No. 31 pick rolls around in Kiper's draft.
Second, I'm not sold on the idea that the Pats would be willing to take a chance on Jenkins knowing his character issues. Kiper argues that New England's locker room would be a great environment for Jenkins, but that doesn't mean the Patriots feel the same way. Kiper's decision to mock Jenkins to the Patriots felt awfully forced.
I'll put it this way: there's no way Jenkins is ending up with the Pats on draft day. You can take that to the bank.
2. Cleveland Browns pick Justin Blackmon at No. 4
Why on earth would the Browns pass on Trent Richardson to draft Justin Blackmon?
The Browns need a running back way more than they need a wide receiver. And between Richardson and Blackmon, Richardson is the prospect with the higher upside. He's the best running back to come along in years.
Also, Blackmon is a little too similar to Greg Little, who was pretty solid in his rookie season in 2011. The Browns don't need a big-bodied?possession?receiver. They already have one.
I'm not ruling out the Browns taking a wide receiver later in the draft, but I don't see them taking Blackmon over Richardson. The only way they're taking Blackmon is if Richardson is off the board, and that's not going to happen.
1. No Jonathan Martin in the First Round
I didn't notice it at first, but Jonathan Martin is nowhere to be found in the first round of Kiper's latest mock.
This just doesn't make any sense. Matt Kalil is the best offensive tackle in the draft, but then it's a tossup between Riley Reiff and Martin. One could go before the other, but there's no way either one of them is falling out of the first round altogether.
Talent is a big reason why, but the other big reason is that there are a lot of teams that are going to be on the lookout for a top offensive tackle in the first round. Kiper takes care of most of them, but Martin could have gone to a number of different teams that Kiper assigned other players to. For example, I don't think the Steelers would pass on Martin if he fell into their lap at No. 24.
Evidently, Kiper is not a big fan of Martin. He needs to change that.
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