Like most NFL fans I spent the last weekend watching the draft and as the rounds went by and the players came off the board so called draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. had analysis for every player drafted. I wondered what made him an expert.
Now there are millions of people who think they are draft experts around the country that watch 10-15 games on every weekend during the fall. But just because they know a lot about football they don't try to get on national television and talk about every player in college football. But, Mel Kiper does. Kiper has been on ESPN's draft coverage for the last 25 years and there are many clips of general managers telling Kiper off and he doesn't know anything about the draft process. But then the rest of America doesn't seem to question his so called expertise.
Kiper is President of Kiper Enterprises which he started in 1981 while he was in college. The company prints annual magazines that analyze the upcoming college draft class. According to Kiper's website he got the idea to publish draft information from former Baltimore Colts General Manager Ernie Accorsi who told him that he should turn his expertise into a buissness.
It has been well documented about how Kiper's ability to evaluate talent has led to problems between him and General Mangers around the league. His rating system for players baffles many because he would have some players that turned out to be complete busts as the top picks on his draft board. For instance Rick Mirer who was a quarterback from Notre Dame was ranked as the best player the year he came out of college. But, Mirer was one of the biggest busts of the last 15 years.
Having never played the game what qualifications does Kiper have to do what he has been doing for the last 25 years. I am not really sure i was not able to find anything that gives a person a specific job tittle of draft expert. What that basically means is that anyone that watches a lot of football and has any idea about evaluating talent can do what Kiper does.
Every year during April Mel Kiper Jr.'s face is all over the ESPN family of networks. And during these appearances he proclaims to know more than anyone about college and pro football and the draft. even though he has no real qualifications every year the public looks to him for information about every player in college football. With his track record no one should care what he really has to say. Form your own opinion don't use one from someone who knows as much as I do about the game and the players.
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