The Kiper Brothers Recap Day One Peter Kiper: Hello all, the Kiper brothers are here with a recap of the first day of the 2011 GM League Draft. Oh it's true, so true. Randy Kiper: Back in action, without Todd McSham. Why? Because we want our ratings to stay high. PK: So Randy you should thank me for allowing you to ride my coat tails this year and help your big brother analyze what will be yet another unpredictable draft. Our first selection was by the Green Bay Packers and they selected Patrick Peterson... well little man, yay or nay? I personally hated it RK: Well for the record, I am the favorite in both our parents eyes and our viewers. However I loved the pick. Patrick Peterson is going to be an elite cornerback in the NFL, plain and simple. I mean AJ Green would have been a fine selection, but for a player that has never hit the 1,000 yard mark in his three seasons at Georgia... I'm just not sold. PK: I feel that the Packers already had a good group at cornerback and they should have dropped back a few spots and nabbed him. If they didn't they would have been able to add Prince who projects to be a much better corner, where Peterson is going to be shifted over to safety. Hmmm... don't they already have someone on the roster like that... old guy, defensive player of the year type. I'm just saying. RK: They recently sent Tramon Williams packing so that opened up a hole at cornerback. I don't think anyone on that roster other than that old guy is really a full-time starter at this point in time. Sam Shields may be the best nickelback in the league and it should stay that way for the time being. I think Peterson is the better corner than Prince and there's absolutely no reason for him to be moved to safety. PK: We've heard all the scouts say it, he's projected to be a much better safety in the league. I think their Wide Receivers need more help after trading Greg Jennings away. Jennings was a bigger loss than Williams. I still don't like the pick, what's your Kiper grade on the pick? RK: I would give it an A-. I feel like they can just as easily trade their two late second round picks to grab someone like Jonathan Baldwin. While they have a definite need at wide receiver, it makes it much easier to pull the trigger when you have a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers. PK: I give it an A, I can't deny the kids talent but I'm all about value in the draft. Shawn Springs, Champ Bailey, Pacman Jones is a mix bag of solid players but they were never picked higher than 3rd overall. RK: Well the Miami Dolphins shocked the world and passed on AJ Green, electing to go for Blaine Gabbert. The Missouri quarterback is a great prospect and probably the best quarterback in this years draft class. However is he really worth the #2 overall selection? After trading away Chad Henne and a 3rd round pick for Kyle Orton, who I believe can start for more than just one year... I don't think he is. PK: I guess the dolphins couldn't pull off a trade to get out of this spot. Really they don't need much more help on offense, if they wanted a guy to develop why not wait til Round two when you have the likes of Ponder waiting. Really bad pick for them, as I can easily see Gabbert falling into the Alex Smith trap. Mark my words, Locker or Ponder will be the best quarterback in this class. RK: A trade would have been ideal for Miami as it was clear they wanted Peterson at #2. I think you could have gotten a player later who will need some guidance, but will wind up being the best quarterback in this years draft... Ryan Mallet. That's a kid who needs to sit down for a year or two to develop and behind Kyle Orton is good situation to be in. Would Prince Amukamara been the best selection as far as a need pick goes? Von Miller could have been considered as well. PK: You know what, I hate to say this... Prince or Miller would have been THE best guys for Miami. They could have gotten a safe pick and surefire stud at linebacker with Von Miller. I'd prefer Prince because I don't trust Wright after his drop off and Prince would have been an upgrade over Jenkins. Corners going back to back, it's the real world so that was never going to happen. Terrible pick for the Dolphins RK: I don't know if I would call it terrible, but definitely not ideal. I give it a B overall. Your thoughts? PK: I'll give them a B as well, it's a deeper class of signal callers than most years and the later guys will turn out better with some time to learn. I stand by the terrible I grade it out as. Though it's not nearly as big a gamble as the Seahawks taking Cam Newton. Now there's an interesting pick. Did they hire Ditka to run their draft? RK: Some people just fall in love with a guy and it's pretty clear that's what the Seahawks GM did right there. I am not quite sure what they were worried about because Miami wasn't taking back to back quarterbacks. I think they could have probably traded up with the Colts or maybe even Cleveland and saved themselves some draft picks. PK: I think we can see what type of quarterback he likes, big, athletic and can move around. Let's look at the depth chart. You've got Daunte Culpepper and Nate Davis. He should have traded for a later pick in the top ten and nabbed him there. This one is going to blow up into a puff of smoke much like Ricky Williams. RK: I think Cam Newton is going to either be a big time player in the NFL or a big time bust. I think this Seattle GM's job will depend on Newton too. You look at their playmakers and it’s rather lackluster. I really hope Seattle will look into drafting a receiver or two with the limited draft picks they have left. PK: This is a B grade for me, Newton will wind up like Vince Young and find himself scrutinized, in and out of the starting lineup before eventually proving to be a bad fit for the team and trying to find a fresh start somewhere else. RK: You know, I’m going to have to give it a B- grade simply because of what Seattle gave up for Newton. I just don’t know if he’s worth it. I think Newton can certainly be a good player in the NFL, but he’s going to be under great scrutiny like you mentioned so it’s going to be a tough road. PK: AJ Green falls back a lot further than I would have expected. The Bengals get a luxury selection here since they already had a deep corp with Chad, Owens and the recently signed Santana Moss. Though it's a deep collection, they are aging and this is a perfect fit for Green to learn from some of the best to play the position. RK: You’re absolutely right, this gives AJ Green a great opportunity to pick up a few traits from the best. It won’t put a ton of pressure on Green to perform instantly because he’ll have three veteran receivers right there to take it off of him. In fact, AJ Green at this point is a good pick. I still cannot believe that he was even available at #4. I thought Green Bay would take him, then I thought maybe Miami would select him. I thought for sure Green would wind up in Buffalo. Who knew he would wind up in Cincinnati? PK: You know what, I love, love this pick. They get a solid A from me and the Bengals make out like bandits, but I would have been more impressed if they selected a top interior defensive lineman to help get some pressure in the backfield, but that's just nitpicking with a very good pick here. RK: This was a great pick, no question. Green was clearly a value pick, but I think they may have had more pressing needs. However the Bengals GM is known for going best player available and he continues that trend. He gets an A+ from me. PK: Once again amazing value with the Green pick, there was no way he should even have been allowed to be available here. Talking about amazing value, Buffalo did something right, can you believe that? RK: From trading back, to trading up, to trading back... they traded up once more and picked up quite the steal in Marcell Dareus. This is one of those selections where you know someone has to make sooner or later because it's just getting ridiculous how far he has fallen. PK: I could say the same thing about a lot of guys that haven't been selected yet because teams over valued some mid first round quarter backs. I'm utterly shocked the Bills could make a pick like this, now neither Dareus or Fairley is Suh from last year, but both have the talent to be very solid for a ten year career. Outstanding value for a team that needs help in a lot of areas. Dareus is explosive and better athlete than Fairley, and probably the top defensive lineman this year, A+ bank on this pick RK: The idea of some of these quarterbacks being selected so high is based completely on supply and demand. I am still in shock that the Bills passed on AJ Green, personally. However I think this was a great selection for the Bills that can anchor their defense line for years. I gotta give them an A for this pick, no question. How the Bills went from having many picks in the first few rounds to very few boggles my mind. They really did some wheeling and dealing there today. PK: This pick should balance things out in the end, Green would have been a great pick but let's face it he would have be as neutered as Spiller was last year. The Bills needs to build from the inside out. Did you think the next pick was just as big of a steal? RK: I would say it could possibly be moreso. Some people have Von Miller rated as the second best player in the country. Miller not only is a great selection, but he fills a major need. The Browns really could have used a good OLB in their 3-4 defense after losing Matt Roth and I think they certainly filled that hole today. PK: Von Miller is going to be a nice guy inside, he's the most complete linebacker in the draft but what the Browns need is a guy that can really get to the quarterback, a pure pass rusher. It's a safe pick, so was Aaron Curry, this one just doesn't excite me... just like when I saw your prom date. You know what you're getting, they're safe and solid, but you won't be winning the crowns at prom RK: Well with the amount of potential pass rushers falling to the middle to late first round, I wouldn't be surprised if a trade up went down in Cleveland. I give it an A because it was a great pick, filled a need, and great value. Triple threat. PK: B+ from me, he's undersized to be an outside linebacker in the 3-4, if you really want pressure off the edge you'd try to stand up Bowers or Robert Quinn. Someone like Bowers you could switch from end to outside linebacker giving some of LeBeau's blitzs packages more exotic looks. I don't feel he's the next coming of Derrick Thomas, he's a solid inside linebacker at the next level. Listening to your assessment of some of these picks is making me reach for the Black Label, tell me who Al Davis picked before I get too far into this bottle. RK: You know rumor has it that Al Davis was absolutely in love with Cam Newton. However he tends to sleep 18 hours out of the day so he missed the memo that trades galore were going on. Davis actually went out and selected someone who doesn't have blazing speed. I thought Julio Jones was a possibility here but the Raiders opted for the monster in the interior... Nick Fairley. PK: Why on earth would they draft Jones, they don't have anyone on the roster to throw to him. They have no quarterback on the roster, if there's anything Al loves more it's big armed pivots. I really thought we were going to get Barrett Robbins part two, I could have sworn I saw Mallets name here. RK: No one knows why Al Davis does what he does... he just does it. I had a feeling that the Raiders would take a good look at Ryan Mallet here, but there are quarterbacks that could be selected in the 2nd round. Christian Ponder or Jake Locker ring a bell? Fairley was one of the best player available.. I can say that the Raiders may have finally taken a turn in the right direction. PK: I'm going to give an automatic A to the Raiders GM because Al has been preaching speed kills, but here slow and steady wins the race and Fairley is one heck of a player. I still think he's the better defensive tackle in the draft, yes better than Dareus. I don't think his "troubles" are going to effect him when he's getting into the backfield and causing havoc in the opposing teams run game. RK: I think Fairley fits that Black and Silver attitude. He's an excellent addition to Raider Nation. I gotta give this an A-. This was a value pick, no question. Fairley could be the interior force that the Raiders have been looking for since Warren Sapp. PK: I still believe Ryan Mallet was the best pick for the Raiders, even if he's the second coming of Drew Bledsoe. Statuesque and ready to fall. So how many picks have you gotten right Randy? Because we're going to talk about one of my perfect predictions. The colts always need a corner, and I called this one... RK: Well I do have one more than you do at the moment, proving that I am twice the draft analyst that you are. The Colts had a few needs and cornerback was certainly one of them. When Von Miller was selected by the Browns, you knew that the Colts would be targeting Amukamura. This was a good selection as the Colts got the last of the first tier cornerbacks. While Prince does has some flaws in his game, he certainly can be an upper tier cornerback in the NFL. PK: The last of them, he's THE upper tier corner here. A former high school running back that happened to rush for 24 touchdowns in a season. He's quick to react and pick up on plays, his time as a running back helps him understand and play against the run well and against passes in the flats. I think he's versatile enough to fit in more schemes. Fits a cover 2 well because he a better tackler than most in the draft. Speed, reaction, size and IQ. This kid is the best corner bar none in the draft. RK: The best corner in this draft is Patrick Peterson and it's quite the shame you haven't realized that. I guess that Black Label has really hit the spot because you're speaking jibberish at this point. PK: I don't speak jibberish, just in tongues. Just ask any of your girl friends. Look, Peterson is talented, but like I said Amukamara has a bigger skill set and fits on more teams. The Colts got the better player at corner and they get an A+ from me. RK: The Colts definitely got a great player for years to come, but I still disagree that he's the best cornerback in this draft. They get an A from me. PK: Well you're wrong again, but I know you're use to it. Other than being right on this pick, I called Mallet going off the boards at number nine. I would have guessed anywhere from 4 to 20... RK: Right, right. And how close were you to that Raiders draft selection again? PK: We've talked about the Raiders missing out on Mallett, so how about we talk about the Jaguars being the right team for him. RK: I like the destination of Jacksonville for Mallet. He has a great running back to give the ball and a number one receiver in Michael Crabtree. They could use another receiver, but this is a solid home. I still don't know how they managed to steal Adrian Peterson from that boneheaded Vikings GM, but nonetheless. Being able to learn under Shaun Hill for a year or two is a definite plus. PK: Hey, the Vikings were trying to make a big splash and bring in footballs best player. It just didn't work out. A good running back doesn't mean anything until the quarterback is ready, the Chargers didn't win until Brees was ready with Rivers waiting in the wing. Mallet is big slow, and a throwback pocket quarterback. I think he's slower than Leftwich was. Yeah he's a bigger guy behind the line, but he'll go down just as easy as Bledsoe and all those other concrete shoed quarterbacks. RK: You know I find it interested that you constantly compare Mallet to Bledsoe when he has drawn even more comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. I think Mallet has all the skills to be a great quarterback in the NFL, it's just a matter of not screwing things up off the field. PK: I suggest he not go to Atlanta on his days off. Sure he's going into the same situation as Big Ben did in Pittsburgh but if you compare the two, Ben has an underrated and unique style of getting out of trouble outside the pocket. Once that bubble collapses Mallett is going to bomb worst than that bubble boy movie with Jake Gyllenhal. Rocket arm with no ability to move outside the pocket won't get you far in this league. C+, good situation to bring a player into. Just happens to be the wrong one. RK: I give it an A. Mallet will wind up being the best quarterback in this years draft. Book it. PK: I'm sure we'll be seeing Ryan Mallet being booked, but really an A? I hope you don't overrate Aldo Smith going to the Panthers as much. RK: Well maybe you can give him a tour, Captain Crunk. And Aldon Smith was a risky pick. Smith is a great talent, no question. However he's about as raw as the T.Ocho Show. There was much better talent on the board at the defense end position and you opt to take Aldon Smith? PK: Nice young kid that needs time to grow and mature. The thing is that he's scary at this stage of his development, he's tough and plays hurt but he won't be as ready to step in and help as some of the other top pass rushers. We'll agree it's risky, but the reward two seasons down the line could pay big dividends but with a top ten pick I'm not waiting for it RK: The Panthers are switching to a 3-4 defense and I don't think they have the components for that scheme so that puts a huge toll on Smith to get into that starting line up right away. Otherwise it's going to really hurt that defense in its first year. PK: Even when he gets to play, there isn't a disruptive presence at the end position to help disguise his blitzes. Have you seen their lack of depth? Smith could have been had later, but Bowers should have gone here or a guy like Watts with his non stop motor, who would have been a handful for the tackle and guards. I'll give it a C+ only because there's potential, but if he doesn't develop fast enough he could end up like Aaron Maybin. RK: With the way defense ends have been dropping, I am sure Carolina would not have had to trade up if their target was Smith all along. They are certainly going to struggle their first season, but I guess we'll just have to see how it turns out. I give it a B- because I like Smith, but a top ten pick he is not. PK: I hope the picks don't keep disappointing me, tell me now... who did the Texans happen to draft? RK: They drafted exactly who I said they would draft. The workout wide receiver in Julio Jones. I don't know if Jones really plays up to his timed 4.4 speed, however he is a remarkable talent who is just an all-around good receiver. The Texans really needed a receiver after trading away Andre Johnson and they got the 2nd best receiver in the draft, bar none. PK: They drafted exactly who you said? No they drafted the player I predicted and you stole from my draft sheet. I guess Green Bay and Houston had the same game plan this year. Draft your best receiver and hope you can do without him. Too bad for the Texans Andre Johnson was their best player. Jones will help alleviate the pain of the lost. He's got good size and speed, but he'll never be Andre Johnson. RK: You know, I just never understood this. Why trade away your best player essentially for a rookie that you just don't know what you'll wind up getting. It's like throwing away a pair of Kings in Poker in hopes you'll wind up getting something better. It doesn't make much sense, but this is about the draft pick... not the trade. PK: You can't grade the pick without looking at why he was drafted here. Imagine if they had Andre Johnson and Julio Jones opposite one another! Jones makes tough catches and can get up to the highest point of the catch, but what scares me is his lapse in concentration. He's a lot more talented than he's shown, but he was in Alabama where they ran the ball really well. We'll see if Schaub takes to Jones as he did to Johnson. B-, only because he's a downgrade at this point. RK: I gotta give it a B+ because Jones is a remarkable talent, but was he really worth Andre Johnson? PK: No, but neither is that kid from Boston College that the Giants took. You know who I'm talking about. RK: Ah yes, Anthony Castonzo. I know that the Giants could have used a left tackle, but they sure did reach here. I am very surprised they didn't try to trade back. This is a classic situation where they felt the need outweighed the value. PK: The Giants thought very highly of the kid, remarking he was in the same mold as Jake Long. So New York went into a fancy show room and picked out an expensive, but nice sturdy shelf they piece they could have gotten at a garage sale price. He's solid and a poor man's Jake Long in some people's eyes but that's all he is, solid. This is what happens when you over value you a talent, you scare yourself into overbidding. RK: I think we're seeing this a lot thus far in the draft, we witnessed it two picks earlier with the Panthers. I think some people have a target and just plain out overvalue him. Is this was the Giants did here? They did get the best tackle in the draft, but in a weak draft class... it's like saying you hooked up with the best looking girl in Alabama... it's just not quite the accomplishment. PK: I'm glad you could bring up your trip to Alabama's pro day. Costanzo is experienced, has the length and height you want but what he lacks is speed off the snap, lower body strength and his hips drop and lock him in place. There's a lot of big strong, fast and agile ends and tackles at the next level that is going to give him fits. He doesn't have the high ceiling or as athletic as a Nate Solder. He's not even the best tackle. He's adequate, that's really all I have to say. An adequate C from me. RK: It was a reach, no question about it. I gotta go with a C+. PK: So far the draft has been full of surprises and just a few too many reaches. I'm just wondering if Bowers, Quinn, Jordan and Watt all fall right after one another. Do you think Ingram goes in the next few picks? RK: You know, I'm not real sure. If I am betting man, I am thinking he either falls right into the laps of San Francisco or Kansas City. PK: Well that's it for tonight, tune in tomorrow for the day two recap with more surprises likely heading our way. The "I'm Too Lazy To Read It" Rundown 1. Green Bay Packers - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU Peter Kiper's Grade: A Randy Kiper's Grade: A- 2. Miami Dolphins - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri Peter Kiper's Grade: B Randy Kiper's Grade: B 3. Seattle Seahawk - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn Peter Kiper's Grade: B Randy Kiper's Grade: B- 4. Cincinnati Bengals - AJ Green, WR, Georgia Peter Kiper's Grade: A Randy Kiper's Grade: A+ 5. Buffalo Bills - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama Peter Kiper's Grade: A+ Randy Kiper's Grade: A 6. Cleveland Browns - Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M Peter Kiper's Grade: B+ Randy Kiper's Grade: A 7. Oakland Raiders - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn Peter Kiper's Grade: A Randy Kiper's Grade: A- 8. Indianapolis Colts - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska Peter Kiper's Grade: A+ Randy Kiper's Grade: A 9. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas Peter Kiper's Grade: C+ Randy Kiper's Grade: A 10. Carolina Panthers - Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri Peter Kiper's Grade: C+ Randy Kiper's Grade: B- 11. Houston Texans - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama Peter Kiper's Grade: B- Randy Kiper's Grade: B+ 12. New York Giants - Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College Peter Kiper's Grade: C Randy Kiper's Grade: C+
Pshhh kiper is supposed to be the one that knows what he's talking about but clearly he doesn't. That's illustrated by the fact they project Nate Solder as anything other then a RT. I would argue the same about Gabe Carimi. Maybe I could have traded back, maybe not, but I only had 3 roster spots open at the start of the draft and with only two clear needs, why risk missing the guy I felt is by far the best player at his position this year and a player I'm sold on? Trading back makes sense if you have room to sign picks....I've been looking to get rid of picks for two weeks. *rips up press release of kipers comments*
After leaving a Miami night club around 3AM after a very busy first day new Dolphins GM FinO was asked about the harsh grade from the Kiper brothers.... "Yea I saw that on TV with the subtitles, as soon as we saw they thought Ponder would last until the 2nd RD...we burst into laughter and turned it off..credability out the window" He then hopped into the back of the Limo with Mike Jenkins, Eric Wright and Philip Buchanon and about 7 girls of all ages and races and cup sizes. Should be interesting to see how Miami does Sunday when they are on the clock....AGAIN.
I'm not mad but Anthony castonzo is. He said to post that garbage in his locker so be never forgets what people thought of him draft day. He says he's on a mission to shut his critics down. So I'd like to thank the Kipers for motivating an already good player!
I don’t see the problem with Castonzo at 12. Of course, I share Boik’s evaluation, but maybe to a lesser extent. I have him ranked #1 of all the LT prospects, and I think it’s fine if he goes as high as 11. Now, if he had taken Tyron Smith that high, I’d be chiming in on what a bad move that would have been.
The Kiper brothers would like to say "suck one" to all that disagree. And to those who agree, we raise our glasses to you.
What brand was Peter drinking when he described Von Miller as an inside linebacker? Maybe I need to publish a depth chart, it seems some people aren’t clear on exactly what I’m doing with my players. Well, maybe after my second pick.
great stuff. BTW, the way to look at the texans pick is its really FS Earl Thomas and the 22nd pick overall for Andre Johnson. Julio Jones became necessary due to that trade but we now have a workable secondary. If you looked at our secondary and the poor safety prospects in this this year's draft the Texans had to make a trade for a safety. we werent getting one in the draft
That's kinda how I felt with the Aldon Smith pick. I have 6 roster spots available and most of them are just depth positions that need filled. But, there are 2-3 guys I am targeting in the draft and if I have to reach to get them, I'll reach. I also don't feel like Robert Quinn would fit a 3-4 as well as Smith. I may be wrong, but that's just my viewpoint. You misc brah? aware?
I LOVE Aldon Smith's game so you dont have to convince me. IF I had any kind of need on the defensive line I would have moved up to get him. Lucky for you my DL goes 8 deep so it was never a consideration.
you mean you actually are talking back and forth in those dialogues? I thought it was all made up... like wrestling...
nope we get into character, and do the whole thing on iChat, but since I'm busy with work I'm going to send in my dialogue and he'll edit and such. I heard Peter wasn't too thrilled with the Pats pick
