Kiper not sure if this is exceptional draft....

[Risen Star]

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has said this is the deepest draft he has seen in 30 years of scouting.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper won't go that far in proclaiming the 2014 draft a potentially special one.

"I don't see it," Kiper said Thursday during a conference call with ESPN NFL Nation reporters. "Now I think there's some positions yeah where you're going to see steals and you're going to see great bargains that you do every year."

What is noteworthy about this difference of opinion: Colbert and Kiper are viewing the draft through different prisms.

The Steelers aren't scouting any of the top quarterback prospects with Ben Roethlisberger in the prime of his career. And that is one position where Kiper said there is quantity but questions about quality particularly when it comes to the quarterbacks who are projected as the top picks.

Kiper also said there is a dearth of true pass-rushing defensive ends after Jadaveon Clowney, whom he thinks the Texans will take No. 1 overall. But the Steelers play a 3-4 defense and they would scout defensive ends who project as outside linebackers at the next level.

That is not to say Colbert or Kiper are off as far as their assessment of the overall draft; just that the two are looking at it from different angles.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-...iper-jr-not-sure-if-this-is-exceptional-draft

 

[Risen Star]

I agree with Mel. I don't see this as some OMG historical draft class. It's got depth in some areas and it's thin in others. Generally like every other year.

 

[rkell87]

I agree with Mel. I don't see this as some OMG historical draft class. It's got depth in some areas and it's thin in others. Generally like every other year.

yes but the depth is deeper, record number of non seniors. teams will start drafting for need and a lot of guys will be available with a grade a round higher or more.

 

[SportsGuru80]

Mel Kiper isn't very credible to me... I never was a fan of his so I take what he says with a grain of salt.

 

[Fredd]

I feel it is a deep draft in some positions (ex: WR), but the top flight talent (blue chips/can't miss/very low probability of "flop") is no better than any other year, IMO...I feel there are only a few guys every year that fall into the "can't miss category, although no one is truly can't miss. This year, I think the blue chips are the following (% relates to % of probability that I see success):

95%+: Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Khalil Mack, Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans
85%-95%: Jadeveon Clowney, Blake Bortles (it will take a year or two), Taylor Lewan, Justin Gilbert, Darqueze Dennard,Teddy Bridgewater (if in the right system/team)
75%-85%: Eric Ebron, Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, Zack Martin, Jason Verrett

There are other guys that I see doing well (of course), but this list I see being somewhere between very good NFL players to excellent ones...there is no guarantee on anyone, of course, but the guys at 95%+ are my blue chippers (I still have some doubts on Clowney and can't quite put him up there, although I would put him highest in the next group)

Note: I made my list prior to reading Kiper's article

 

[Gaede]

I also don't think the top flight talent is any better than any other year.

The only difference is there are maybe 2-3 more 1st round grades than normal.

 

[tm1119]

I don't think the top talent (1-25) is anything special, but its way deeper than usual in rounds 2-4 in my opinion.

 

[MonsterD]

Deeper yes, the best draft in 30 years? No way what about the 1989 draft? Even those saying the best in 15 years or so, it might be better than the average draft, but this is not an amazing outstanding draft. Only area I see as being pretty much the best I have seen is WRs.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

what positions are deep for this draft besides WR ?

 

[MonsterD]

what positions are deep for this draft besides WR ?

I think the next best is OT. Edit both DT and OT are pretty good not spectacular above other drafts, but every bit as good.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I think the next best is OT. Edit both DT and OT are pretty good not spectacular above other drafts, but every bit as good.

Thanks, I'm just now starting to follow the draft stuff. We could certainly use a DT and an OT,,, and a WR for that matter. I guess the next question is will Jerry be able to package up some of those 7th rounders for an extra pick in the "sweet spot" of the draft or will he go for quantity and cherry pick the potential UDFAs instead?

 

[DFWJC]

what positions are deep for this draft besides WR ?

QB, DT, CB (esp in the late rounds), RB, etc

 

[Oh_Canada]

In the abscence of great QB's no one can say this is the best draft, only that it is a very deep one, which is exactly what the Steelers GM said.

There are going to be an abnormal number of solid contributors found between rounds 5-7 in this draft.

 

[Risen Star]

In the abscence of great QB's no one can say this is the best draft, only that it is a very deep one, which is exactly what the Steelers GM said.

There are going to be an abnormal number of solid contributors found between rounds 5-7 in this draft.

Yeah, what Kiper is saying is there is not going to be an abnormal amount of solid contributors in rounds 5-7 and I agree with him. The depth of this class is way overblown, IMO. You can find good players in every round but that's true every year.

 

[9darter]

Yeah, what Kiper is saying is there is not going to be an abnormal amount of solid contributors in rounds 5-7 and I agree with him. The depth of this class is way overblown, IMO. You can find good players in every round but that's true every year.

All this "you can get third round prospects in the sixth or seventh" is.....yeah, way overblown. I just don't see it.

The WR group looks somewhat promising. But as tm1119 stated earlier in this thread, I don't think you have a particularly strong top 25. I'm not too enthusiastic about the QBs, I don't see that many intriguing passrushers or disruptive DTs, and it's a rather weak safety class.

If anything, this is an overrated draft class.

 

[Tobal]

It's a great WR class, Very good CB class, very good group of guards and a promising group of 3-4 OLB 's, pretty decent QB class. Safety seems normal to me 4-3 DE's a little weak imo. Avg DT draft. according to my knowledge "cough"

 

[Nirvana]

If you have a 3-4 scheme this is a deep draft. Good 3-4 OLB prospects, good NT prospects, good DE prospects.

If you have a 4-3 scheme, you can land a good SDE on day 2, but there are no WDE prospects worth mentioning except Clowney. The DT1 position has depth, the DT3 position does not, other than Donald and Easley.

I think you can land a good corner on day 2 but they tend to lack height from what I've seen. The safeties are nothing special.

The WR class appears to be the real highlight of this draft. The OL prospects also are better than years past. The QB class appears to have depth as well. The RB class has no special talents and speed. There are few nice TE prospects.

Overall I agree with the sentiment this draft has been overrated.

 

[Leadbelly]

If you have a 3-4 scheme this is a deep draft. Good 3-4 OLB prospects, good NT prospects, good DE prospects.

If you have a 4-3 scheme, you can land a good SDE on day 2, but there are no WDE prospects worth mentioning except Clowney. The DT1 position has depth, the DT3 position does not, other than Donald and Easley.

I think you can land a good corner on day 2 but they tend to lack height from what I've seen. The safeties are nothing special.

The WR class appears to be the real highlight of this draft. The OL prospects also are better than years past. The QB class appears to have depth as well. The RB class has no special talents and speed. There are few nice TE prospects.

Overall I agree with the sentiment this draft has been overrated.

Really good point as far as Pittsburgh's perspective of the draft as a 3-4 team. I think if we were still a 3-4 team it would look a lot easier finding an edge rusher to replace Ware and Spencer, a 5-tech to replace Hatcher, and a NT. We'd be pretty confident that the top NT (Nix), the top two 5T DE's (Stephon Tuitt and Ra'Shede Hageman), and a top pure 3-4 ROLB would all be around at 16.

Now as a 4-3, Nix (too slow) and Ford (too small) are not likely fits and using a first on a 1-tech DT is kind of a weaker value proposition.

Still though, this Pittsburgh GM must have been asleep during the 2011 draft. That was one of the best of all-time. No need to go back 30 years.

 

[Risen Star]

Really good point as far as Pittsburgh's perspective of the draft as a 3-4 team. I think if we were still a 3-4 team it would look a lot easier finding an edge rusher to replace Ware and Spencer, a 5-tech to replace Hatcher, and a NT. We'd be pretty confident that the top NT (Nix), the top two 5T DE's (Stephon Tuitt and Ra'Shede Hageman), and a top pure 3-4 ROLB would all be around at 16.

Now as a 4-3, Nix (too slow) and Ford (too small) are not likely fits and using a first on a 1-tech DT is kind of a weaker value proposition.

This is why the 3-4 is just a better scheme. It gives you more options to find players. Particularly edge rushers.

 

[ThreeandOut]

This is why the 3-4 is just a better scheme. It gives you more options to find players. Particularly edge rushers.

There may be more options than you think under the Marinelli version of the 4-3. After all, they went into last year with Spencer and Ware penciled in as starters. Chances are they feel that some of these tweener OLB/DE's can play the WDE.