http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/48815/mel-kiper-re-grades-jets-2014-draft For those who don't like links: You will be reading a lot about the 2015 NFL draft in this space over the next few months, but let's take a moment to look back at 2014, with help from ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. Kiper re-grades every team's draft class in an Insider piece . His first impression of the New York Jets' draft -- aka the Idzik 12 -- was positive. In fact, his grade was a B. That was back in May, when John Idzik was preaching his "build-through-the-draft" mantra. Amaro Pryor Obviously, the draft didn't perform to a B level, as only two players emerged as significant contributors -- first-round safety Calvin Pryor and second-round tight end Jace Amaro. Pryor started 11 games, but he was a mild disappointment because he made no big plays and missed too many tackles. In fairness, he played most of the season out of position, deployed as a free safety because of deficiencies in the secondary. Amaro wasn't a game-changer, but he showed promise with 38 receptions, tied for second on the team. After them, there wasn't much to get excited about. Idzik's biggest failure was striking out at wide receiver. In arguably the greatest receiver draft in history, the Jets picked three receivers that combined for zero catches. Desperate, Idzik traded for Percy Harvin, which cost them a draft pick, $7 million in salary and ate up $7 million in future cap space because of the rollover rule -- and Harvin didn't change anything. They were 1-6 before he arrived; they went 2-6 in games he played (he sat out the season-ending win with a rib injury). Kiper's re-grade is lower than a B (check out the Insider), but it's not as low as you might think. Maybe he was grading on a curve. You should also check his re-grade of the Houston Texans, considering the Jets' new general manager -- Mike Maccagnan -- was the Texans' director of college scouting. Kiper loved the draft in May (A-). Now, not so much. ----- Anyone else find it funny that when "experts" like Kiper grade a draft high in May, only to regrade it lower after the season and find criticism in team's scouting abilities? If the teams were so inept at drafting in May, wouldn't it make these "experts" equally inept at grading players? Of course Cimini puts his little smear at the end of the article about his Mac did in Houston. Personal opinion, drafts shouldn't be regraded again for AT LEAST 2 seasons. (BTW- I think the Jets regrade was a C from what I heard from a friend. You need insider to get the real grade.)
I like the mocks that Todd and Mel do because they get people excited for the draft and what not but if we're being honest these guys are never right. They get about 3/32 picks correctly predicted and are still praised for being geniuses. I know they study hard and had to come along way to stick out from the others but what they think never really matters. The work the GM-Scouts-Coaches-Players etc.. do is the only thing that matters.
This is how much I take Mel Kiper's analysis into consideration... Ryan Leaf What Kiper Said: “His attitude will be an asset in the NFL and give him a mental advantage over [other players in his draft class].” Jimmy Clausen What Kiper Said: “If [Clausen is] not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I’m done. That’s it. I’m out.” Ki-Jana Carter What Kiper Said: “Ki-Jana (Carter) could be the next Bo Jackson.” Mike Williams, WR What Kiper Said: “Give the Lions credit for going away from their biggest needs to take receiver Mike Williams. … I’ll see you at his Hall of Fame induction.” Jamarcus Russell What Kiper Said: “Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league… look out because the skill level he has is certainly John Elway-like.” Akili Smith What Kiper Said: “Akili Smith will be a great NFL player and would finally provide the Cincinnati Bengals with the passer they’d lacked since Boomer Esiason.” Mark Sanchez What Kiper Said: “He’s a hot guy right now because of the fact that he’s what you want in terms of accuracy. And that’s not just in the pocket, that’s not just when he has all day to throw. He can roll right, he can roll left and throw accurately.” David Carr What Kiper Said: “You look at that No. 8 (Carr’s jersey number), you look at Troy Aikman and what he meant to Jimmy Johnson and the Dallas Cowboys. That foundation, that building block that you go and you build around and you get the supporting cast and the rest is history.” Joey Harrington What Kiper Said: “Harrington, who has a Brett Favre-like flair for the dramatic, was a highly productive quarterback and one I had rated only slightly behind Carr.” Vernon Gholston What Kiper Said: “Gholston has excited people. Those kinds of players, those attacking, outside-linebacker/defensive-end types, are going to help you right away.” Jason Smith What Kiper Said: “The OT spot is strong at the top with Smith, a former tight end who is supremely athletic and exactly what you want in a left tackle: someone you can count on to protect the blind side of your quarterback.” Andrew Ware What Kiper Said: “He will be an excellent NFL quarterback.” Jim Druckenmiller, QB What Kiper Said: “Druckenmiller is by far the best QB in the draft, and should have gone in the top ten.” JJ Stokes What Kiper Said: “J.J. Stokes is a sure thing. A future All-Pro.” Aaron Curry What Kiper Said: “It’s not a bad pick for the Hawks, especially since Curry was the No. 1 player on my board.”
Grading a draft class after 1 season is about as stupid as grading a draft class 1-2 days after the draft. Give these kids time for god's sakes.
Haha those two are really great.. I wasn't really an Idzik guy, but I have to wonder about some of these picks that we've written off already. Obviously he's had many blatant whiffs already, but Reilly has contributed a bit on defense on special teams while IK was disruptive in limited time (both positive PFF grades). Wonder if they'll be contributors next year. Also, Dozier essentially took a RS year as Aboushi did in 13' and Aboushi ended up being a solid player and upgraded the line with his presence compared to Winters. McDougle was getting a lot of good press before his injury. Wonder if he comes back and plays well this year. Shockingly, Pryor graded out in green on PFF and it's been suggested that due to the mess the secondary was in, his strengths were not being played to. Let's see him this year with a new defensive coach and a better group around him. Lot of early bad signs from both classes, but too early to write the classes off. It's entertainment and subjective to grade drafts at this point, so I don't put much stock in his analysis, but he's dead on about the receivers. I know the jury is technically out on Enunwa and Evans (who was really bad before this injury), but he drafted 3 WRs in that draft class and he got no production on a team with a big hole at WR. The more I think about it, maybe his strategy to triple up at a position of need and hope one worked out. He did in 13' with fewer picks and took Winters, Aboushi and Campbell as OGs and only Aboushi looks like a player. Then he went with the 3 WRs in 14' except it looks like he blew all of those
We got something outta Trevor Reilly...a little anyway, lol. We may yet see some roster depth from several of Idsacks picks: Evans, Enunwa, IK had moments, Dozier. McDougle looked good before he got hurt Juries out, '13 and '14 may not be as bad as things looked last year.
If Kiper knew anything about the draft a team would've been paying him more than espn does to be their draft guru. All these articles are is clickbait to get a convo going. As bad as our draft seems right now both Pryor and Amaro could be starters for us for tee next 10 seasons. Evans , McDougale and Dozier can also be important pieces next year if healthy. Gotta wait atleast 3 years for a real grade to be determined
Mel Kiper has become a caricature of his exaggerated personality on ESPN. He is only there with ESPN because he is a cartoon character with some vivid commentary on his feels about these collegiate athletes who are going to make a big difference at the next level. I wish I can get a wig and some specs and suit and tie and sit in front of a camera and provide a draft commentary...Oh yeah, there is Youtube. Problem with Mel Kiper is he apparently has some big fucking book that he apparently prepare for each year on Draft players that NO ONE FUCKING reads except the ESPN interns and that is where he gains some credibility.
All I know is that in a year stocked with QBs and WRs we came with gornish in our 12 picks. Idzik get's an "F" in my book for "go FUCK yourself". _
Just because a player doesn't pan out, it doesn't mean they did not possess the talent/potential worthy of where they got picked. There's a lot more that goes into a player turning into an stud or a dud than (i.e., coaching, scheme, surrounding talent, health, luck…etc.) then just getting drafted in the first or a good report from Mel. Football is not basketball; no other major sport is a player's success dependent on so many other factors and/or variables. So I'm not going to go in too hard on Mel, Todd and the like.
As for the receivers. They decided to take Pryor and help the secondary over the Wr position. One of the reasons was they signed Decker to fill that need. Some other teams hit lightning in the bottle with their higher round Wr selections. But at the time the Jets Wr draft picks were considered solid choices. And the jury's still out on all of them.
The jury is not out on all of them. Jalen Saunders was a 4th round pick and he didn't even last a month. It's criminal that in an historic year of incredible playmakers at WR that we didn't get one. _
