First 2011 NFL Draft big board from Mel Kiper published

by Dan Kadar on Aug 26, 2010 10:52 AM EDT in 2011 NFL Draft

This just feels good. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has put out his first big board for the 2011 draft. Find it here.

His top five are as follows:

After that, Kiper's top 25 goes behind the ESPN Insider pay wall. Because we could get busted for reprinting the whole thing, please don't in the comments. If you do, I'll ban you. Sorry.

But looking over the rest of Kiper's list, there's no big shock inclusions. Kiper has been known to have some strange additions to the big board in the early part of the season, but not so far. Perhaps the biggest stretch is Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder listed at No. 11.

Although Solder showed flashes of being and NFL bookend last season, he was wildly inconsistent and needs to play with more aggression.

For those who care, my top five from April was as follows:

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Comments

ESPN are assholes

You shouldnt have to pay to see the whole list

by Yankees10 on Aug 26, 2010 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed

I’m not gonna shell out money just to see this list.

by DBroncs1414 on Aug 26, 2010 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

I had it (like an idiot) for three years

it was totally not worth it at all

by Yankees10 on Aug 26, 2010 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

Useless service.

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by Tempestuous Binary on Aug 27, 2010 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Question

I think this years crop of receivers, in particular the juniors, are one of the best years for receivers in a long time. My question though is why does everybody think that A.J. Green is undoubtably better than everybody else. I don’t know much about Jonathan Baldwin but in my opinion, Julio Jones and Michael Floyd offer more potential when it comes to NFL production. Don’t get me wrong, when I watch Green, he’s one of the better natural pass catchers that I’ve seen in a while but Floyd has both a fantastic WR body and the ability to snatch the ball out of the air. As well. Jones has a massive WR body and moves so well on the football field. Granted, Floyd had his injuries and Jones hasn’t been targeted as much at Alabama but I think both of them offer more to an NFL team than does A.J. Green. Hopefully this yields a further discussion on the topic, I just wanted to hear an opinion of the group, rather than just acknowledging that Green is the top dog for now.
P.S. Im a Miami fan and I think Travis Benjamin and Aldarius Johnson will eventually be studs along with their junior counterparts but we can leave them out of the discussion for now as neither is on the national stage like the other four and Aldarius isn’t even starting yet..

by Jory1111 on Aug 27, 2010 12:41 AM EDT reply actions

So, what don’t you like about Green? Maybe start there and you’ll find the answer yourself.

I just think he’s more graceful than the others this year. He may not be a 220-pound monster like those other guys, but he’s got good size regardless.

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by Dan Kadar on Aug 27, 2010 7:03 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't see how anyone can put Floyd and Baldwin in

the same tier as Jones as Green. You know my steez, Dan….

You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.

by 3k on Aug 28, 2010 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Green and Jones are a level above Floyd and Baldwin, but not by that much.

Mocking the Draft: Talking NFL Draft all year.

by Dan Kadar on Aug 28, 2010 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Green is

in my opinion, further along in his development. You watch the control he has over his body and it’s not the normal level for a college player. He may not be as big but he’s got great hands, runs good routes and seems to be the best WR at this stage at least.

Jones needs to put up some production this year after a pretty ordinary sophomore season

by mojo88 on Aug 30, 2010 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Travis Benjamin will be good I agree there.....fellow Cane fan here

by ChiaCrack on Aug 31, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Julio dosen’t have the hands or effort that the other guys bring

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by TheRealSlimShady on Aug 31, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions

All right, if Kipers predictions work as well as they did last year, Locker is going to throw more INTs than TD’s, fail to win any games, lose all his accuracy and go undrafted.

lol Snead

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by UZ on Aug 27, 2010 1:44 AM EDT reply actions

Didn’t he have Sam Bradford rated as his No. 1 player most of the year? I don’t think he was a big Snead guy. McShay was.

Mocking the Draft: Talking NFL Draft all year.

by Dan Kadar on Aug 27, 2010 7:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Could have sworn that before the season it was Kiper had Snead rated as his #1. It didn’t last very long, and it was way before the season started.

by UZ on Aug 29, 2010 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

That sounds right. But McShay might have still been watching tape from his other man crushes Andre Woodson and Brian Hoyer

"Young men, I have no doubt that you're gonna do well today. But I have 1 favor to ask of you... SAVE JIMMY JOHNSON'S ASS FOR ME!" Lou Holtz

by TheRealSlimShady on Aug 31, 2010 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Julio Jones

I think he will be the better WR in the NFL
AJ Green is good but I think Julio in the right NFL system will be good
Floyd from Notre Dame will be good too he is a superior athlete man
Golden Tate was a beast imagine what Floyd could do
Adrian Clayborne is gonna be a stud, he is as close to a sure thing there is next draft
now Prince Akunamora is gonna be a stud Ras I Dowling might be a better FS
Patrick Peterson can be good too but seriously LSU players I always doubt recently
idk they just make me nervous….alot of busts

by ChiaCrack on Aug 31, 2010 6:19 PM EDT reply actions