Mel Kiper and Todd McShay NFL Mock Drafts: No Surprises for Saints

by Dave Cariello on Apr 7, 2011 6:00 AM CDT

Mel Kiper and Todd McShay of ESPN fame recently released the latest versions of their mock drafts yesterday. Does anyone care? Just in case you do and you don't pay for ESPN's Insider coverage, here is who each of them selected for the Saints with the 24th overall pick in this years draft.

Mel Kiper:

Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor

Taylor is a real load, and the best pure anchor tackle on the board. Listed at 334 pounds, Taylor probably played closer to 350 during an impressive final season at Baylor. You can stack blockers on him, but Taylor won't give ground, and will free up linebackers to make more plays in the running game. The Saints can't go wrong if they get a really good defensive tackle or defensive end with this pick.

Todd McShay:

Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

There are some red flags surrounding Clayborn because he suffers from Erb's palsy, a condition stemming from difficult childbirth that affects the strength and range of motion in his right arm. However, he has top-20 talent and could provide pass-rush help right away at right end. Clayborn would help take some pressure off defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was forced to blitz more than he would like last season, and a secondary that was asked to do too much in 2010. How bad was the New Orleans pass rush last season? There were seven games in which the Saints recorded one sack or less.

Can't say there's really any surprises here. Last time we checked in with Mel, he had the Saints going with defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson. So while the player might be different this time around, the position he thinks the Saints will choose remains the same.

Todd McShay, on the other hand, is sticking to his guns with Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn, whom McShay chose for the Saints in the last version of his 2011 mock draft.

They disagree completely in their assessments of the Saints second round draft selection however. McShay thinks the Saints will being staying on the defensive side of the ball with USC's defensive tackle Jurrell Casey while Kiper has the Saints going with offensive line help, choosing Florida State offensive lineman Rodney Hudson.

Thoughts?

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A good NT will make J Vilma look even more like a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qais_eGMnWk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39GH-nzrY_I&feature=relatde

by tlsk1066 on Apr 7, 2011 7:15 AM CDT reply actions

Despite the presence of Shaun Rogers

…I would take Taylor over Clayborn. With Taylor in the lineup, no team would dare to double-team Sedrick Ellis. And who led the team in sacks last year? Um…Ellis. With someone like Taylor there, he could hit double digits. (Granted, a motivated Rogers in the lineup could bring about the same result…but Rogers is 32. Not much left.)

Just as an aside…has anyone ever tracked the accuracy of professional draftniks? I’m curious as to who is quantifiably the best. Of course, Kiper wouldn’t be bothered by choosing against any NFL team—he’d just insist they were wrong.

It was good while it lasted.

by MtnExile on Apr 7, 2011 7:46 AM CDT reply actions

Just as an aside…has anyone ever tracked the accuracy of professional draftniks? I’m curious as to who is quantifiably the best.

actually yes…

by GRlZZ on Apr 7, 2011 8:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Noticed Mayock isn’t on there….probably for good reason. Last year I believe he got something like 24 completely correct in the first round. Which would have crushed everyone else by a considerable margin.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 7, 2011 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

I’d be willing to bet that no one in this group gets more than ten first rounders correct, both you and I included. I usually get about 7 or 8 right. And by right, I mean player-to-team. So, the Patriots taking Mayo counted, even though they traded down with us. As does Quinn to the Browns much later than expected, etc.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions

I got 21 right 2 years ago…last year wasn’t as good…closer to half that. This year seems particularly volatile. I don’t make my final guessing til that night…but i’m willing to bet you’re correct. This year I’d be quite happy to get anywhere close to 10.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 7, 2011 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions

I haven’t attempted a full first round mock since 2007. I think I got five right that year, but I was also predicting trades, which was basically just an attempt at spicing up my blog entry. No one ever gets trades right.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions

Well...

We will be having an open thread and expecting you to be there making your picks before they happen.

Wanna say something? Sign up! It's free!

by Dave Cariello on Apr 7, 2011 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

And I have a post ready to go where everyone can post their mock drafts, and I'll check to see who the winner is.

Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!

by Jon Banks on Apr 7, 2011 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions

If i’m working on that Thursday, i’ll gladly post it.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 7, 2011 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions

21 right prior to the draft starting or as it unfolded, just before each pick?

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 2:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Huge difference, in that you know for certain what’s not available going about it the latter way.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Prior to the draft starting. After the pics are gone…that’s obviously WAY too easy. I had a couple of lucky guesses that allowed things to play out well. I nailed tyson Jackson and Sanchize both…though obviously i didn’t get the number right for Sancez. Just the player and team, which is all i count.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 7, 2011 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions

That doesn't even make sense

Player in round = 1 or (P)layer in round 1 + (M)atched to team 2 = 3 points

What does that mean? I just want to know how many they got right.

It was good while it lasted.

by MtnExile on Apr 7, 2011 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions

It means if they guessed that “bob smith” would be a first round pick….and he was….they got 1 point. If they guessed bob smith would be drafted by the dolphins…and he was…they got 3 points. So if you want to figure out how many they got actually right…pay attention to the matched to team portion only.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 7, 2011 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

can't really argue with d-line

but couldn’t the saints really use some help at lb?

by yeehoo on Apr 7, 2011 8:26 AM CDT reply actions

I'd say so

here’s our current LB’s on the roster:

Stanley Arnoux ILB
Ezra Butler OLB
Jonathan Casillas OLB
Jonathan Vilma ILB

Dunbar and Anthony Waters are RFAs…the rest are UFAs

by GRlZZ on Apr 7, 2011 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah… to say we need some help at OLB is an understatement.

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 7, 2011 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions

Wats shanle's deal?

Two Dat!! Who Dat!?

by ReggieVilma on Apr 7, 2011 11:23 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Nevermind. FA

Two Dat!! Who Dat!?

by ReggieVilma on Apr 7, 2011 11:24 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Even more so than along the DL. There just aren’t as many OLBs projected within that range.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Free Agency could be an option (depending on what FA is gonna be like in the future)

UFAs
Mike Peterson – ATL
Thomas Davis – CAR
Pisa Tinoisamoa – CHI
David Bowens – CLE
Isaiah Ekejiuba – DET
Julian Peterson – DET
Mike Vrabel – KC
Ben Leber – MIN
Tracy White – NE
Scott Shanle – NO
Danny Clark – NO
Keith Bulluck – NYG
Vernon Gholston – NYJ
Leroy Hill – SEA
Matt McCoy – SEA
Travis LaBoy – SF
Rashad Jeanty
Clint Ingram
Angelo Crowell
Akin Ayodele – BUF
Hunter Hillenmeyer – CHI
Dhani Jones – CIN
Eric Barton – CLE
Vinny Ciurciu – DET
Landon Johnson – DET
Kirk Morrison – JAC
Kevin Bentley – HOU
Chase Blackburn – NYG
Keith Bulluck – NYG
Stephen Cooper – SD
Kevin Burnett – SD
Takeo Spikes – SF
Barrett Ruud – TB

by GRlZZ on Apr 7, 2011 8:41 AM CDT up reply actions

some pretty good names there

by yeehoo on Apr 7, 2011 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

You must be referring to these studs

Scott Shanle
Vernon Gholston
Clint Ingram

Or this one:
David Bowen(s)

Drew thought enough of that name to assign it to his kid, then revisit it twice.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions

Had to make sure it was plural, I guess.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions

Leber and Ruud are by no means bad.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 7, 2011 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

No, they’re not. Ruud would be a waste of money, though. Well, either he would be … or his acquisition would render Vilma’s current contract as such. I’m not completely convinced he wouldn’t start over Vilma. 3-4, different story. Needless to say, I’d love to have him. Too bad this isn’t Madden.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions

Manny Lawson - SF

Could be the answer at SAM… could be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qais_eGMnWk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39GH-nzrY_I&feature=relatde

by tlsk1066 on Apr 7, 2011 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Ian first round generally considered too early to grab a NT?

Or are we late enough in the first that rule doesn’t apply

Two Dat!! Who Dat!?

by ReggieVilma on Apr 7, 2011 11:26 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

It’s never too early for any position, provided there’s a need and the player is projected to go that highly. NTs, MLBs and Cs are fairly interchangeable, though. Unless you’re talking about an elite talent, you’re probably better off waiting. Not that we even need a MLB or a C, I just threw those in there to illustrate the relative lack of importance of a centralized position.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 7, 2011 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions