All articles tagged with #mel kiper jr
Mel Kiper Jr. graded the Cowboys an A for the 2026 NFL Draft, lauding two first-round picks—Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence—and five other defensive selections as a targeted fix for a leaky defense; with a high-powered offense returning and a new coordinator, Dallas could turn around a 2025 season that saw the defense rank among the worst, provided the rookies and staff deliver quickly.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Chicago Bears a B for the 2026 NFL Draft, praising Dillon Thieneman as a versatile, value pick and Logan Jones as a potential long-term center, while criticizing later selections like Sam Roush and Zavion Thomas and noting the team didn’t address edge rusher or defensive tackle early; overall the grade sits in the middle (roughly C to B‑), despite strong Day 1 impressions.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Indianapolis Colts a B+ for their 2026 class, highlighting Day 2 pick CJ Allen as a potential cornerstone and A.J. Haulcy as a promising starter while noting Indy’s lack of a first-round pick due to the Sauce Gardner trade; the class also adds Day 3 depth (Farmer, Boettcher) and should bolster the defense, though pass rush remains a question.
After a strong Day 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Browns are lauded for upgrading the offense and offensive line, adding WR depth and Austin Barber, while Denzel Boston and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are highlighted as impact picks; Cleveland became the first team to draft four players listed in the Consensus Top 32 in the last nine drafts, a feat noted by Mel Kiper Jr. and SB Nation, suggesting a promising, though unproven, trajectory under GM Andrew Berry and coach Todd Monken.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. named the Ravens Day-2 winners for selecting Missouri edge Zion Young in Round 2 and USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in Round 3, praising Young’s run-stopping, high-mottage edge and Lane’s red-zone receiving upside, while noting Baltimore still has Day-3 options at center and tight end amid trade chatter over Vega Ioane.
Mel Kiper Jr. highlights three Steelers-linked sleepers — Cole Payton, Zachariah Branch, and Kyle Louis — who have ties to Pittsburgh ahead of the draft: Payton (NDSU QB) could be a developmental fourth-round asset in a Hill-like role, Branch (Georgia WR) offers strong YAC upside and is viewed as a second-round possibility, and Louis (Pitt LB) is a versatile defender projected in the second or third round.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.'s final 2026 mock has the Packers taking Clemson corner Avieon Terrell at No. 52, a speedy man-to-man defender who has 25 PBUs and 3 interceptions in college and five forced fumbles in 2025 (eight in two seasons). Terrell is 5'11", 186 lbs, and hamstring injuries have clouded his speed (private pro day run reportedly 4.67), but he could start for Green Bay in Year 1 if health cooperates. He’s the younger brother of A.J. Terrell and was an All-ACC pick for two straight seasons at Clemson, finishing his college career at age 21.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.'s final two-round mock has the Bengals doubling down on defense: at No. 10, LSU corner Mansoor Delane—a clean, technically sound cover man with 27 PBUs and eight INTs over four seasons (three at Virginia Tech)—but questions about translating the SEC to the NFL; at No. 41, Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell, who had 11.5 sacks and 16.5 TFL last season despite size/arm-length concerns. Cincinnati's pass defense allowed 7.8 yards per pass in 2025, and Kiper notes potential defensive picks like Arvel Reese, Caleb Downs, David Bailey, and Sonny Styles could be off the board by Cincinnati's selections, making the D need and possible Dax Hill/DJ Turner negotiations key factors guiding these picks.
Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest two-round mock has the Steelers selecting Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane at 21 and Georgia wideout Zachariah Branch at 53, fortifying the line for a potential Rodgers-led offense and adding a dynamic playmaker who could contribute in the return game.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Titans selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 4 and UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 35 in his latest mock, citing Love's playmaking ability and Lawrence's pass-rush upside as fits for Tennessee’s needs in next week's NFL Draft.
ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. cast doubt on the Cowboys trading up to No. 3 in the 2026 NFL Draft, saying there may be no suitable dance partner for Arizona and that the move could be unlikely, leaving Dallas to consider other routes (like trading with Browns/Saints or pursuing a veteran nickel corner) in a draft class seen as unpredictable and thin at edge rushers.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. released an updated Top 10 QB list for the 2026 NFL Draft: Mendoza remains No. 1, Simpson and Beck hold 2–3, Allar rises to No. 4, Nussmeier slides to No. 5, with Green, Payton, Klubnik, Altmyer and Robertson rounding out the top 10 as scouts await the April draft.
Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN mock draft has four Ohio State players projected in the top seven picks—Caleb Downs to the Jets at No. 2, Arvell Reese to the Titans at No. 4, Carnell Tate to the Browns at No. 6, and Sonny Styles to the Commanders at No. 7—an unprecedented four first-round selections from one school. The mock also includes Kayden McDonald at No. 26 to the Bears. If this holds, OSU would rewrite the record for most first-round picks from a single program in a single draft; the Buckeyes’ prospects will be in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine week.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. moves the Titans to select Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 4 pick in Mock Draft 2.0, noting Reese could play either linebacker or edge and would address Tennessee’s edge-rush weakness; in this version, the Raiders, Jets and Cardinas go 1-3 before Tennessee. Saleh is set to speak to reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates have predicted every pick from Days 1 and 2 of the 2024 NFL draft, going through all 100 picks through the end of Round 3, including potential trades up the board for quarterbacks. They based their picks on a combination of what they think each team will do and what they would do if they were playing general manager for all 32 teams, using their personal rankings and the latest information from sources around the league. The mock draft will be discussed on "SportsCenter Special: Mel & Field's Three-Round Mock Draft" at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday on ESPN2.