Mel Kiper still hating on Tim Tebow

GAINESVILLE -- It's never too early for NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. to tell people that Tim Tebow doesn't have what it takes to be an every-down quarterback in the NFL.

Tebow is still months away from his senior season but Kiper somehow already knows the role Tebow will play in the NFL. Here's what Kiper said today during a conference call:

"The way the evolution of this game -- the copycat league that it is -- Tim Tebow has a role at quarterback, seven to 10 snaps a game -- with the way he can run and it also gives you a throwing dimension. And if he can catch the ball, he can also be an H-back."

Kiper was one of Tebow's toughest critics a few months ago when Tebow was still considering leaving early for the NFL. Tebow returned to Florida for his senior season to help the Gators win another championship and work with new quarterbacks' coach Scot Loeffler, who has a history of placing quarterbacks in the NFL.

[Tebow] will have value but there are some other quarterbacks next year. Sam Bradford of Oklahoma is going to be maybe the No.1 pick," Kiper said. "You got Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan, who could be a top 10 pick. You got Colt McCoy from Texas who could be a first-round pick."

-jo-

Comments

[Adam S.]

Tebow absolutely embarrassed Kiper on ESPN Radio, asking him directly what he needed to do in order to be a starting NFL QB in his mind. Kiper just ran around in circles. The fact of the matter is this: Kiper is good at his job, not great. Guys like Mike Mayock have surpassed him and are better judges of (a) talent and (b) what works in the NFL.

Tim Tebow will be a starting NFL QB. He will be a first round pick. I'm not claiming he will be a Pro Bowler or a Super Bowl winner. But he will be a good NFL player.

[Adam S.]

And after this season is over when the Gators (hopefully) win another title or at least put together a great year, after the combine where Tebow will absolutely stun people with his speed, athleticism and strength and after Pro Days where teams will realize exactly what this kid is all about both on the field and off, there will be no more questions.

[Adam S.]

Sorry for my third consec. post...but can you put up a more representative picture of Kiper? His hair is 2X as tall now as it was in that picture...that must be from 5 years ago.

[Goody]

Adam,

How can you say Tebow will be a first-round pick and then put a disclaimer on his Pro Bowl and Super Bowl chances? If a team is going to draft a QB in the first round, then they expect him to 1. Lead that team to the Super Bowl. 2. Be a Pro Bowl quarterback.

I think Tebow can do both. People like Mel Kiper have jobs because NFL general managers don't talk about the draft and reporters need someone to quote in the newspaper or ESPN needs someone to fill airtime.

That said, Kiper is good at talking about the draft. Very good. He knows his stuff. That doesn't mean he's right about everything, though. At this point, I think he might be too proud to publicly change his mind on Tebow.

-jo-

[13-1LiftTheTrophy]

Who photoshopped Kiper's hair?

Kiper talks to GM's and looks at teams obvious needs in the top of the draft so he is able to make informed predictions that aren't exactly rocket science. Beyond that he just throws darts. He's just fills a void that hungry football fans have a craving for.

Beyond the fact that he dedicates his life to following the draft, he isn't any more insightful than anyone else.

I think he's a blowhard personally. And not just because he dismissed Tim. But because he attempts to make definitive judgements about unknown entities.

If Tim is just a glorified halfback, we'd see halfbacks playing quarterback. It's abusrd.

[Paul]

Kiper is the MAN...
he sure loves his QBs arm-strength...

Jamarcus Russel is a once in a decade type of player. -Mel Kiper

Jamarcus Russel has one of the best arms the NFL has ever seen. NUMBER 1 PICK, NO DOUBT, AS GOOD AS IT GETS!, teams should trade up for Jamarcus if they are smart".

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=4059528

[Max]

Hey Jo, this is kind of off topic, but I was wondering if you have any idea why all of the draft experts are picking apart Percy Harvin's character yet they completely overlook Mark Sanchez's arrests in college? Percy never got in trouble off the field at all (other than this drug test), and Sanchez was arrested for sexual assault, underage drinking, and using a fake ID. Also, he supposedly had other run-ins with the law in highschool. What's the deal with that?

[Adam S.]

jo,

In case you didn't know, I'm not an NFL GM. My opinions can be separate regarding both issues. In this particular instance, we are talking about the NFL Draft. Therefore, I am allowed to hold the opinion of being supremely confident that he will be a first-round selection. I also believe he will be quite successful in the league, but being Super Bowl champ is not a given just because you are a great player - look at Dan Marino. In that regard, I am less confident. I didn't want to group two guarantees together when I feel a 10/10 in one regard and a 8/10 in the other.

>
**Exactly.

[Adam S.]

That last part was supposed to say:

"At this point, I think he might be too proud to publicly change his mind on Tebow."

Exactly.

[Adam S.]

"I think he's a blowhard personally. And not just because he dismissed Tim. But because he attempts to make definitive judgements about unknown entities."

This is the key. He will say something like "terrible pick" about a team's selection and not be held accountable for it...and that player could go on to be a Pro Bowler. He can also say something like "what a steal" and the guy can be a complete bust, but after draft day no one remembers. Every blue moon they will show some "haha let's make fun of Mel" clips at the end of Day 2 of the draft when they have nothing better to do. But that is few and far between.

[Goody]

Max,

I'm not as familiar with Sanchez as I am with Harvin, but if Sanchez has a checkered past, then I'm sure NFL GMs have taken it into consideration.

People should keep in mind that, in the end, NFL teams aren't drafting popes and saints. NFL teams are drafting football players.

-jo-

[Max]

Well, then I gave you a topic to run with..."Racism in the Draft". What else could you attribute it to? Sanchez has an arrest record. yet Harvin is disected when he has never done anything off the field (that we know of) at UF.

[mm]

Kiper straight up sucks. He is painful to listen to. Where exactly does his knowledge of football come from? Did he play? Did he coach? Has he ever been affiliated with any football team at any level? The guy is a joke.

[Paul]

Great hearing the defense of Tebow....The likelihood of him making it is high...based on historical success, and a drive to succeed beyond normal measures.

Once again, wonderful to hear the praises of Tebow.

GO GATORS

[mm]

One more thing. Does anyone seriously think that GM's and HC's sit around watching ESPN to see what thise douchebag thinks they should do?

I would rather listen to nails on chaulkboards than Kiper spew garbage.

[Adam S.]

Max, it is not the act of smoking marijuana that is cause for concern with Percy. It is the lack of intelligence to test positive for marijuana when you KNOW you have a test coming up. It's not like they spring the drug test on these guys...they know about it from the second they declare for the draft and have PLENTY of time to either (a) not use or (b) get clean. Don't neither shows a lack of intelligence and a potential for problems in the future. THAT is what they care about, not the fact that he smoked pot.

[Adam S.]

"Doing neither"

[14-0-ToPasadenaWeGo]

Every time Kiper's name comes up, This board blows up. LOL. Good job Jo.

He does doe his homework mm but he's still guessing at a ton of stuff. All the knowledge in the world doesn't necessarily translate to knowing how a guy will handle the next level. It's a good starting point but far from scientific. At best he offer's up educated guesses. At worst he misleads "fans." It's not that he's trying to mislead, he just has no way of definitively verifying what he predicts.

Kiper predicted that Akili Smith would be a great NFL QB. He was just going on known information and he wasn't the only one who felt that Smith would excel. But this shows that at the end of the day he just doesn't know. Why trust his opinion? NFL GM's do their due diligence and surely don't care what Kiper says. If Kiper is high on a guy that they like I seriously doubt that they use his opinion as an affirmation.

Again, he simply feeds football hungry "fans." That's all.

Personally I could never trust anyone who rocks that $8 transylvania haircut. He reminds me of that vampire dude on the Muppets.

Translation: BLOWHARD

[Dave]

This will only fuel Tims fire. Tebow can take great solace in knowing that Kiper is wrong a lot more than he is right. Just do the research! If Kiper was really this all knowing guru, he'd be the GM of the Dallas Cowboys making 10 mil a year!

[WaterBoy]

Kiper is annoying, confrontational, and will never admit when he is wrong. For that I can't stand him.

Todd Booshay (hes clearly never played sports and is at best a waterboy) is a guy who loves UGA, had been on UGA campus 20+ times in the past 3 years alone and is a Gator-Hater. Jesse Palmer doesn't let his love for UF play into what he says on ESPN (oftern praising Miami, FSU, Alabama, etc.) However Todd Booshay is not man enough to get over his hate/jealousy for UF and get real.

[GatorBud]

Dave, unfortunately, I'd be willing to bet that Kiper makes more than $10 million a year.

[GoBlue1919]

Tebow wont be good in the NFL he went to Florida and had people like Percy Harvin to make him look good Dan Lefevour is at a much smaller college with less talented players and still does things only 1 other quarter back ever has done in college Tebow doesn't have near good enough of an arm to play pro football.