ESPN Paywall: Kiper has Denard as #5 Senior WR
Currently Mel Kiper Jr. has Denard Robinson listed as the #5 senior WR.
When you add in the junior WRs he likely falls somewhere between #8 - #10 in the upcoming draft.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7904742/top-5-seniors-position
For a point of reference, the #8 WR in this year's draft was Ryan Broyles (Detroit Lions #54) --- #9 was Rueben Randle with the last pick of the 2nd round.
#10 was DeVeir Posey, 3rd round #68 overall to the Texans.
Those putting Denard from late 2nd to early 4th seem to be accurate according to most analysis.
Look 5 threads down
You mean five threads down in the thread about Lewan? There is no reason to get snarky because someone hasn't sat on their computer all day reading every post. If there was a thread that mentioned Robinson I could see your point, but you can't expect that every poster will know about the wandering content of every thread on the board.
And if we are going to start crucifying people for redundant posts, I suggest we start with the people who post in a thread that the thread is redundant instead of just ignoring it. I am curious if you really were trying to help the OP locate the thread which first mentioned the topic, or if you were just trying to be condescending. My guess is the latter.
not only does he get his condescending shot in but he gets a point, too! Of course, now I'm guilty of trying to be condescending to the condescender plus get my point.
lol all I said was," look 5 threads down" I didn't know that was snarky. I feel like we have a different thread about every little topic. If you don't check the page daily, you will miss any topics from the previous day because people post a new thread for everything they see. That is why it is important that people look at the page or use the site search function so we can cut down on that and have fewer topics with more substance.
I figured the Kiper aspect of the other thread would be sufficient. Apparently not.
What if I didn't want to hi-jack someone elses thread?
That thread was about Lewan...the OP made it to highlight the high praise for Lewan. Why is it wrong to leave his/her thread alone and create one about the quarterback of the current Michigan Football team?
Well in two months, Kiper will have another mock and it will have Denard ranked something else at WR. His previous one had Denard ranked as the #1 WR
So because he'll update his mock draft that means we shouldn't talk about it? In that case, we can't talk about recruiting rankings either because those will all change a bunch of times between now and signing day.
Someone just said that in another thread and it was shot down by 4 different people. Also, that didn't have juniors in it.
Believe the discussion of ranking each Taylor and Denard can be discussed in separate threads.
Denard will most probably be slotted as WR in the draft but it depends on the needs of the aquiring team. If the team needs a WR and more importantly a return specialist, I can see him going closer to the second and third round. Fourth Round would just be silly,
Good thing OP posted it here then, because i haven't had time today (or any other day ever) to read every comment to every board post.
Since only one or two people mentioned Deanrd in the other thread, I think this is appropriate. It's not like bandwidth here is at a premium in the "dead period" anyway.
Percy Harvin went 22nd overall in the 2009 draft, even after testing positive for pot. Even if you take Denard's quarterbacking ability out of the picture, he still has physical tools similar to those of Harvin. Factoring in Denard's squeaky clean record as a "character guy," I can't imagine Denard not being a fairly early first round pick.
You can't imagine Denard not being a fairly early first round pick? Damn dude. I love him just like everyone else but I think there will be enough questions about how his "skill set projects to the next level" to push him back into the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th range. Hope I'm wrong.
Mike Vick is the next Denard...
Mike Vick was the first Denard. Our version is a better citizen, has a better smile and of course new upgraded 2.0v software.
Love Denard - but Michael Vick had a cannon arm. By NFL standards, Denard's is probably below average. He's also shorter and lighter than Vick.
Anyone taking him to play QB is doing so with the idea that they'd install some sort of package or totally overhaul the offense like the Broncos did mid-way through last season.
Unless he really improves his accuracy and decision making, I can't see him being drafted as a QB in the first round. He's a (as much as I hate the expression) "sexy" pick but I really don't see him as a first rounder.
Last year's Denard likely does not get drafted as a QB... except as the backup to Tebow...
This year's Denard? Well we have to see him. In the most wildly optomistic projection of Gorgeous Al Borges's Bottle of Magical Elixir, what if Denard leads Team 133 to a 12-0 record with a 17-point win over Alabama in the opener, a 17-point smackdown over Ohio in Cbus, then wins the BCS Championship by 14 over LSU or USC, and during the year throws 20 TDs, runs for another 13 TDs, and has only 8 interceptions for 2200 yd by air and 800 yd by land (while Fitz goes for 1200 yds)... well THAT Denard gets drafted as a QB in the second or third round, yes, if not the first round.
So let's hope its the latter Denard we see. Until the returns are in... its pure speculation.
But would that hurt our chances with Ty Isaac?
He'll be too busy taking his ACTs to care
Hines Ward played QB for Georgia, ended up having a decent WR career for the Steelers.
I don't know about this. He probably hasn't played the position since JR high, if ever. I think Posey is a significantly better NFL WR prospect than Denard ever would be. All these projections as a PR/KR... we've never even seen it!
Hopefully he lights it up as a senior. Maybe someone takes a flyer on him as a QB. What a fine feeling, the most productive QB in Michigan history coming back for his SR season, as highlighted on the front page!
Its the draft... no one cares about NFL prospects, its all about measurables. Dontari Poe who couldn't even stand out in the Conf-USA (2nd team all conf!!!!) got drafted 15th because he's ran fast and could bench alot. Denard will be off the charts with his speed which will make at least one team salivate.
but he can kiss the first three rounds goodbye if he measures in at under six feet.
Denard's numbers would be exceptionally great for a QB...I think everyone has conceded that he's not going to play QB in the NFL.
That said, his numbers will still be good, but the margin won't be as much as it would've been had you been comparing him to Barkley, Murray, Bray, Thomas, etc.
Jason White had some pretty good college stats as a passer. As did Timmy Chang. There's a whole host of college QBs who managed to rack up stats but couldn't cut it in the NFL.
An NFL team has absolutely nothing to lose in drafting Denard as a QB -- his other skills are a hedge against the cirumstance in which he doesn't have the QB skills to play in the NFL. Heck, there several dozen highly touted QB's that flame out in the NFL, and they cannot move to another position. Success as an NFL QB is a crap-shoot anyway, why not take the guy that can do other things? If he can play QB, great, if not, let's see what he can do elsewhere.
Denard is uber-unique -- especially if his passing game progresses to the point that we all hope it does this season -- in that he could play a variety of different roles on an NFL roster. I don't see why anyone would draft him as an WR when he's never played the position.
All that doesn't add up to a first rounder though. I think he'll go somewhere in the high second round, and the team that gets him is going to get a steal.
Some of you are slightly delusional and let's hope that some team is as captivated with Denard's smile as we are, but otherwise, he is not a first rounder.
First rounders are supposed to be instant impact starters and unless Denard comes out this year and acts like Robert Griffin it won't be happening. You should never take a position switch guy as a first rounder as a general rule.
Denard has never played WR other than to lining up there from time to time. I understand his speed and athleticism but I guess I just don't get how Mel Kiper can project him as the #5 WR already. I think Mel Kiper is the biggest scam artist in the world. I mean seriously if you could literally devote your entire existence to analyzing football...anyone could do the same exact thing as him. I'm not bagging on Denard because I think he can play WR in the NFL. Or at least PR/KR. I'm bagging on Kiper because he's a fraud and no one ever talks about how he still has 1980's hair.
that's a plastic hat. And the glasses came from Madonna's first music video.
As for Denard, great athlete, seems like a great kid, but no way he plays QB in the NFL. He doesn't have a pro arm and at that level really is too short to see the field. You can't fix those genetics. You might wildcat him ala Randel El with the Steelers, but that's only for gimmicks. He makes it as a WR/KR, or not at all.
There are a lot of people who could do what Kiper does. The difference is that he was the first to do it who didn't work for a team. He made the Draft entertaining. Also, its not like he's super rediculously bad or anything. He usually has a pretty good grasp about what teams think about certain players, and has intant recall. I am not a huge Kiper fan,and I dissagre with a lot of what he says but I understand why he's a big deal: he really knows his players and he usually has a good graps about what different teams think about players and why.
As for why he would have Denard as the #5 WR? Good Size, elite burst, and the fact that he can develop a bit at WR while returning kicks AND playing a Reggie Bush-type role. Honestly, you have seen Denard play: don't you think he could be a weapon for some team right off the bat? I think Kiper would have him higher except that I have this feeling Denard will be all like "I'm a QB!!!" which is usually bad news.
Someone will give Denard a shot at QB. I think people forget that Denard's numbers in college are actually much more impressive than Vick's ever were at Virginia Tech. Granted, Denard is in an offense that suits him more than VT's suited Vick, but it's not ludicrous for a team to seriously draft him as a QB. Drafting him in the first round to be a QB is probably silly, but given his sheer athleticism I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him go in the 2nd.
Even if he doesn't work out at QB, anyone with his level of disgusting athleticism will get him a shot as a WR/CB/return specialist. It's the same reason why teams like to draft stud OTs in the first round - even if they "bust" you just move them inside and they're fine. It's low-risk. Denard becomes low risk to some extent in the 2nd round and definitely in the 3rd because if he busts out at QB, you can always have him return punts and try to teach him WR/CB. He'll probably be the fastest guy on your team the moment you draft him, and that's always worth something in the NFL.
Before you can evaluate a WR's draft position, shouldn't you have some sort of idea about how good his hands are? Considering Denard has said himself he has never caught a pass in a game, don't you have to rank him as a RB or return specialist or something until you have at least a sliver of data?
14/80 of Kiper's "Top 5 Seniors" are from The Big 10 + ND
5 WR - Nard Dogg, Michigan
1 RB - Montee Ball, Wisconsin
1 OT - Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin
1 CD - Johnny Adams, Sparty
1 ILB - Manti Te'o, ND
1 DE - John Simon, Ohio
2 FB - Zach Boren, Ohio
4 TE - Jake Stoneburner, Ohio
2 C - Graham Pocic, Illinios
2 DE - Michael Buchanan, Illinois
4 DT - Jordan Hill, PSU
3 OLB - Gerald Hodges, PSU
3 K - Brett Maher, Nebraska
4 CB - Micah Hyde, Iowa
Its not that i think EVERY team in the leage will not see him as a high QB prospect, its that I don't think he's an NFL QB. If He's not, than as soon as the season ends, he should start working out with Roy Roundtree, hitting the JUGS machine, and find a quality coach that will work with him on route running and getting off the line.
But if Russell Wilson goes in the 3rd round as a QB, Denard isn't going higher than that if he sticks at QB, even if he explodes in Borges 2.0. Second round wide receiver seems plausible, however, assuming he can catch, due to the added value of the threat of him throwing on a trick play, and his other-worldly speed.