afosomf Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Chat with Mel Kiper Welcome to The Show! On Wednesday, Mel Kiper Jr. will drop by to talk about the bowl game matchups, the NFL, the draft and any other questions you might have about the gridiron. Send your questions now and join Mel this Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET! Kiper Archive: Chats | Columns Buzzmaster: We're getting Mel right now! Mel Kiper: We have a bowl game tonight with Purdue and Central Michigan and the Holiday Bowl coming up. Let's get started. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David (Findlay, OH): Mel, who are some defensive lineman the Browns can look at with their 2nd round pick. They desperately need some depth up front. Mel Kiper: They really do. That's the priority of the Browns going in. In the second round, you'll have to see how many juniors coming out. That will affect this. Guys that they would be thinking about in the second round, Marcus Harrison, Trevor Laws. But particularly Harrison. They need both a DT and DE. A combo guy for the 3-4, Shawn Crable is a guy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rene (San Antonio, Texas): I think the Giants have a great opportunity to knock off the Patriots. They would be stupid not to at least play the first half with their starters to try and win the game. If the game is out of hand by half time, then I can see them sitting their starters. But don't you think they should at least give it a shot? BTW....I'm a Cowboy fan. Mel Kiper: You have to balance out trying to stay sharp and not getting guys hurt. They know Tampa will be their opponent. First of all, they're not beating New England. You need a super motivated Giants team for four quarters to even stay in this game. New England wants this game. They've got their sights set on 19-0. They want to do something historical. They've won multiple Super Bowls. You might only have one shot at this. They have it and they're not going to let the Giants get in their way. How much do the Giants lose by is what everyone's going to be talking about. They go in as a two TD underdog. New England is a team that everythings sets up for. Mel Kiper: You could see the Giants getting knocked out in the first game of the playoffs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick (Lebanon, PA): Mel, what's your take on Jacob Hester from LSU? He's a hard, physical runner in the college game, but do you think he transitions well to the NFL? Mel Kiper: He's going to be a combo back. He can be a small fullback. He can be in a one-back offense on occasion. An outstanding short yardage back. A good pass catcher out of the backfield. He's the kind of guy you'd like to have on your team. He's not going to be an elite prospect. But a lot of teams want smart, versatile, effective players. He's the kind of guy that when you get into the third or fourth round area dn teams will think seriously about getting him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryan, GA: Mel, I'm a Falcon fan and I need some holiday cheer. Early polls suggest Matt Ryan is the top QB in the 08 Draft. We need a QB. Is Ryan the right guy? Mel Kiper: I think he would. I'm always leary myself of drafting a QB in the first round. The pressure that comes with it. Analysts scrutinize them like they're six year veterans. It mentally effects the young QBs. They have to deal with all this negativity. That's all you hear about. Analysts don't give QBs time to grow. A young QB struggles, is that a surprise? The majority of young QBs will have struggles. Cutler, Young, Manning have all struggled this year. But we don't cut them any slack. In terms of Matt Ryan, will he survive the first two years of his career? If he can, he'll have a chance. Another team that could be looking at a Matt Ryan is Baltimore. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brandon (Bartlett, IL): Mel, with Berrian set to be a UFA and Moose looking older than ever, why hasn't the wide receiver position for the Bears been talked about as a need. Will the Bears be in a postion to draft Desean Jackson to help fill the void? This has has to be a year Jerry Angelo focuses on offense. Mel Kiper: The thing with the Bears surrounds the QB. I agree, the WR is an area. With Berrian, Bradley hasn't developed as they'd hoped. No question they could look at WR. They have to look at o-line as well. They have to assess a number of positions. That's going to come at QB, WR and OL. Mel Kiper: You would think that they would be one of the teams that have an interest in McNabb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason, Peoria, Il.: Detroit has to look at defense in the draft. Do you think they'll go for a corner or DE? Do you see them going another way? Mel Kiper: I think they help desperately on the line. This is a team that can't handle the road. On the road, they just give up far too many points. They gave up 56 at Philly, 34 at Washington, 42 at Minnesota. That's pitiful defense, particularly on the road. At home, they had a lead early against Green Bay and lost it. They need defensive help in the worst way. That's something they need to prioritize. You have to look at the secondary. That's where they're lacking frontline talent. You have Ernie Sims leading the way at LB. They need CB help. Overall they need help in the defensive secondary, both CB and safety. The best CB in this draft is Aqib Talib. He has size, cover skills. He'll probably have a 42-43 vertical. He's a top 10 caliber corner. We have to wait to see if he comes out early. If he does come out, he could be right there where the Lions would be picking. There's also Jenkins, Porter and a guy from Troy who I think will get a lot of people talking - Leodis McKelvin, who can also return kicks. You're looking at a lot of guys there. Mel Kiper: The safety position is not strong this year. The best S is going to be Marcus Griffin. An interesting guy is Charles Godfrey, who has played corner but has some experience at S. He's a combo guy. Even the No. 1 junior safety is Kenny Phillips but he didn't have the great year that was anticipated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabriel - Miami, FL: Mel, I was wondering, Is there anyone in the top five who is enamored with McFadden that might be willing to trade up with the Dolphins? Mel Kiper: That's where if you're Bill Parcells right now, that's what you're hoping. He passed on Steven Jackson and passed on him. He ended up with Julius Jones in that draft. Even when he was with the Giants they took Rodney Hampton and he would have preferred to take a defensive player. Who could move up there? Atlanta could be a team. If they decide they don't want Matt Ryan, they could definitely use a McFadden. But there aren't a lot of teams that really need a McFadden. The last several years, we really haven't had any trades dealing with the top picks. If Miami has to make a pick there you'd think it would be for a defensive lineman - Dorsey or Chris Long. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frank (Philly): Mey Mel, would you agree that Ray Rice needs to enter the 2008 draft? The way he's been worked so hard at RU could end up costing him at the back end of his NFL career. Mel Kiper: Yeah, he's not a big back. That's the thing with Ray Rice. Size is the thing they'll always be looking at. But Brian Westbrook isn't that big either and he's one of the true MVPs of this league. Ray Rice has a lot of ability. That's a great point on the wear and tear. He's gotten a lot of carries. He's not going to get any biggers, in terms of next year. Chris Johnson may overtake Mike Hart as the No. 1 senior RB. The junior RBs is an excellent group. McFadden, Felix Jones, Rashard Mendenhall, Slaton, Stewart. But if Rice does come out, he's not going to go super high, but he'll be very effective in the NFL. Mel Kiper: Teams don't prioritze RBs in the draft. That's why a guy like Adrian Peterson can fall to No. 7. When people saw him dropping, was anybody trying to trade up? No. Teams don't trade up like they used to. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zack (columbus Ohio): Who will be the first ohio state play picked of draft day? Mel Kiper: There are a lot of guys to evaluate. Last year they had two first rounders, the Heisman Trophy winner. This year, they are going to have the potential to have three first rounders. All three of those potential first rounders are juniors. Their lead guy is James Laurinaitis. He'd be perfect for the Patriots. They're getting up there in age at LB. Vernon Gholston is another one, a junior DE. He's a feared sack artist. He had 13-14 sacks this year and had 8.5 last year. Those are your two best Buckeye prospects. Gholston is the best junior DE prospect in the country. Jenkins is another one. They have a history of producing good corners at OSU. Mel Kiper: They also have a junior WR Brian Robiskie. If he comes out early, he's a second rounder. The best prospects on this team are underclassmen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ron (Washington DC): Mel, Who is your early sleeper candidate in the upcoming draft? Mel Kiper: I'm not going to mention guys like Joe Flacco. He's not a sleeper anymore. Everyone knows about him, even though he's at a I-AA school. A couple of guys that are under the radar (all seniors): Nick Hill, QB Southern Ill.; Tim Hightower, RB Richmond; Mike Peterson, TE Northwest Missouri St.; Heath Benedict, OL Newbury; Chad Rinehart, OL Northern Iowa; Brian Johnston, DL Gardner-Webb; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee St. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cody Philly: Mel, who wins the game tonight, purdue alumni here. thanks Mel Kiper: Purdue, you would have to believe has the upperhand. I would be very surprised if they didn't win the game. They won the game in dominant fashion earlier in the year. That was at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette in Mid-September. Central Michigan lost 70-14 to Clemson. They lost 52-7 to Kansas. Purdue beat them 45-22. Eastern Michigan beat them 48-45. You've got to like Purdue in the game. But Purdue did not finish strong, they lost their last three games. They started 7-2 and finished 7-5. This is a redemption game for Purdue. Central Michigan won four of their last five. Central Michigan does have a true playmaker at QB. Dan LeFevour is a sophomore. You have to think Purdue has the upper hand here. For Purdue, Dorian Bryant is an outstanding WR. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ron (Washington DC): Mel, Is there anyone that you feel is overrated as far as where they are predicted to be drafted? Mel Kiper: Good question. Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky. I've seen projections that have him going 10. I had him up there, but he dropped late in the season. I think he's a second rounder. Frank Okam, DT was overrated, but his stock has dropped to where I don't think he is anymore. He falls into that mix. From the junior class, Derrick Harvey, DE from Florida; Kenny Phillips, S Miami; Calais Campbell, DE Miami. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve (St. Louis): Mel, Steeler fan here...Who does it look like they will be looking at in the first round? Mel Kiper: You'd have to think for them they'd look OL, a C/G combo guy. They could look at a DB - S/CB type. Nothing really jumps off the page with them. Mel Kiper: There is no glaring weakness for them. Alan Faneca is a free agent, so OL. And CB/S is another area to look at. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John (Baltimore, Maryland): Mel, your my idol. Although Hester is probably the best returner of all time, the Bears can never take advantage of great field position due to their incompetence on offense. Would it be in their best interest to trade him being that his value is probably as high now as it ever will? Mel Kiper: No, I don't see that. You don't want to trade away your No. 1 weapon. He'll always be a great weapon. He can return kicks and even become better on offense. When he's on the field on offense, everyone knows he's getting the ball. They need more playmakers. There's too much burden on his shoulder. If you stop Hester, you stop the Bears offense. They need to help out Hester. It starts out at QB. They need another RB. Thomas Jones was a good back for them. The jury's still out on Benson. The OL is another area. WR for sure. You don't think about moving a guy like that. Everyone's looking for the next Devin Hester and you've got him. Hester is helping out Leodis McKelvin, a guy who's good as a CB, but he has great return skills. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bo (Honlulu, HI): Mel, if the Raiders are picking in the top 5 or 6, who are they most likely to get out of Long, Long, Dorsey, and Ellis and who fits the best in Rob Ryan's system? Mel Kiper: Certainly they could look to defense. When you look at the Raiders in recent weeks and what they haven't been able to do on defense and how many points they've given up. They gave up 49 to the Jags. They gave up 38 to the Pack. They've had some offensive issues as well. They're going to be picking pretty high. How many of these juniors come out will effect on where the Raiders go. Some of those juniors are: McFadden, obviously, but defensively, Vernon Gholston, Tyson Jackson, James Laurinaitis, Rey Maualuga, Aqib Talib. Those are your best junior defensive players. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eric (Bethesda, MD): Mel, If the Skins make the playoffs, who will they be looking to pick up in the middle of the first round? We need help at S, DE, CB and OL. Mel Kiper: Let's go through their needs. They definitely need help on the defensive line. They need a quick, explosive defensive tackle. They need a big time WR. They don't have a No. 1 on this team. They need a CB. Springs is getting up there in age. They also need a combo C/G for the interior of the offensive line. And they'll be looking S. They're not going to be picking until the 20s. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hunter (Dallas, TX): You have one pick for DPOY who do you pick? Mel Kiper: For overall, defensive player of the year...I'd probably think about a Demarcus Ware. Mel Kiper: And Osi Umenyiora for the Giants. When he's out there the defense is a completely different team. Mel Kiper: And they're both from Troy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Walt (NY): Mel....longtime fan of your work, we chatted on the phone a few times back in the day when ordering your informative books, etc; my question is do you see the Seahawks going after a running back in the 1st round? I really like the RB Forte kid in the 2nd round to the Hawks ! You're take ? Mel Kiper: I believe you can find guys later in the draft at RB. You can afford to wait and take one later in the draft. Dantrell Savage from OK St. is one. Thomas Brown, Georgia; Matt Forte, Tulane. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ricky Omaha, NE: What do you think the Dallas Cowboys will do with both first round picks? trade or keep them, and why? Mel Kiper: They're both going to be in the later portion. They have their own pick and the pick from Cleveland. They have to see what happens with Patrick Crayton and Terry Glenn. They could go WR. They could look at OT. And in the secondary. You could get a little influx of talent there. Mel Kiper: We're in the throws of our bowl games. I view these games from a prospect. I would say go to ESPN.com and make a list of guys to watch out for in these games from the list of top junior and senior prospects. The guys that are jumping out at you usually coincide with the positional lists. Mel Kiper: Happy New Year to everyone! Happy, safe and healthy New Year. Safe travels during this holiday season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt39 Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 I'd like the Jets to pursue Mendenhall from Illinois. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 It would of been nice to see the Jets being mentioned in here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Chat with Mel Kiper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick (Lebanon, PA): Mel, what's your take on Jacob Hester from LSU? He's a hard, physical runner in the college game, but do you think he transitions well to the NFL? Mel Kiper: He's going to be a combo back. He can be a small fullback. He can be in a one-back offense on occasion. An outstanding short yardage back. A good pass catcher out of the backfield. He's the kind of guy you'd like to have on your team. He's not going to be an elite prospect. But a lot of teams want smart, versatile, effective players. He's the kind of guy that when you get into the third or fourth round area dn teams will think seriously about getting him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sounds like a guy that would fill a need AND would be attractive to this administration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt39 Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Jacob Hester- smart. Where was strong work ethic and high football iq? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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