Alright, so the final Mel Kiper mock draft dropped. You know how it is around this time of year, everyone’s putting out their last guesses before the real thing kicks off.
I’d been keeping an eye out for it, honestly. You hear the buzz, you know Kiper’s gonna put his final stamp on things. So, first thing this morning, I grabbed my coffee and went looking. Didn’t take long to find it plastered everywhere sports news lives online.
First Pass – The Scan
My first move? Scroll straight to my team’s pick. Always. Gotta see who the ‘guru’ thinks we’re taking. Saw the name, read his quick reasoning. Okay, interesting. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, but it made some sense I guess. Then I did a quick scan of the top 10. Any huge surprises? Any trades projected that seemed nuts?
Getting Into It
After that initial hit, I went back to the top. Started reading pick by pick, one through thirty-two. I wasn’t just looking at the names, but trying to get Kiper’s logic. Why this guy here? Why not that other player who everyone else has higher?
- Read the player choice.
- Read Kiper’s little blurb explaining why.
- Nodded sometimes, shook my head other times.
- Made a mental note of picks I thought were way off or spot on.
Comparing Notes (In My Head)
You can’t look at just one mock, right? So, I started thinking about what other big names were saying. McShay, Jeremiah, Brugler… how did Mel’s final thoughts line up? It’s funny how they can all watch the same players and come up with different fits.
Where Kiper Differed
I noticed a few spots where Kiper really went against the grain compared to others I’d seen lately. Maybe a quarterback sliding further than expected, or a defensive guy jumping up into the top 15. That’s the stuff that makes it fun, seeing who’s willing to stick their neck out with a prediction that isn’t just copying the consensus.
Final Thoughts After Chewing On It
So, after reading it all, comparing it a bit in my head, what’s the takeaway? Well, it’s Mel Kiper’s final mock. It’s one piece of the giant pre-draft puzzle. It gets you thinking, gets you talking (even if just to yourself). It definitely passed the time and got me even more ready for the actual draft.
It’s never 100% right, nobody’s is. But going through his process, seeing his final board laid out, it’s part of the tradition. Now we just wait and see how wrong, or right, he actually was. That’s the best part anyway.
