Kiper: Denard #1 or #2 Draft Option..at WR
According to Mel Kiper:
Mel Kiper on Denard Robinson's draft stock: "He's either the No. 2 or No.1 most highly rated WR option & he hasnt even played the position"
Don't really know how to take this, but interesting nonetheless.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:37 PM ^
Also according to Kiper Molk is only the #3 center in the draft, so he may just be an idiot.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:41 PM ^
I love Molk, but there are some players that don't necessarily translate directly to the NFL. Molk's size as well as his interest primarily being from zone blocking teams, limit him somewhat. #3 Center isn't actually very bad considering these two options.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
Are you one of those people who gets pissed whenever Michigan isn't voted #1 in something? Just because he won the Rimington doesn't mean he's the best NFL prospect at center.
Do you think Jason White should have been the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, too?
January 19th, 2012 at 2:04 PM ^
My post was mostly supposed to be comedic, but it appears it wasn't that funny. I get that #1 center in college doesn't necessarily mean #1 center in the NFL, but Denard a #1 or #2 receiver when he has never played the position? I think that's a little ridiculous, although I haven't really done enough studying to know what the WR position looks like in the class of 2012.
As for calling me out about thinking that UM should be #1 in everything.... I called Kiper stupid for saying Denard is a #1 pick at receiver, so I think we can debunk that.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
thikn about it this way. Denard runs a 4.31 40'. Hes got to have at the very least decent hands, and we all have seen his quick burst. Put him in a possession receiver role, and I guarentee he puts up Welker #s. While I get the "but hes too fast to be a possession receiver hes a vertical threat" argument, the idea would be to get Denard the ball in space with CBs and S's trying to tackle him, and just watch the magic happen.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
No evidence for this. And given the lack of passes thrown to him on many plays where he's not the QB, plus his tendancy to fumble snaps, I'd say there's some evidence against it.
IMO, he'd be a better RB - a poor man's Chris Johnson.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
i think durability would be a major concern at rb. that and he would have to add about 20 lbs.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
How do you figure? Chris Johnson is 5"11, 191lbs, Denard is 6" 193lbs.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^
compared to Chris Johnson coming out of college
Durability is a concern for any RB, but Denard has a track record of 20-30 carries in multiple college games. He's unlikely to be an every-down back, but that role is becoming increasingly uncommon anyway.
I'd take his durability over someone like Jahvid Best.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^
just guarantee that a guy who has never played receiver before will put up numbers equal to one of the most prolific WRs in NFL history? That seems far fetched...
On the other hand, I was watching the olympic trials the other day and I saw a tall muscular guy throw a javelin several hundred feet. I know he's got a strong arm, and he sounded pretty smart in the post-event interview. Therefore, I predict that he will eventually put up Peyton Manning-ish numbers in the NFL.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:14 PM ^
If he is accurate enough with that javelin, he could play both ways. On offsense, he'd be able to create lots of room for his receivers and so therefore I'd predict he'd far exceed Manning. On defense, he could play deep safety and "intercept" anything that gets thrown.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^
we need him to draft a wide receiver in the first round.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:03 PM ^
Molk is slightly undersized for an NFL center, so this is not completely implausible. I could see a team with a power run game wanting to take a larger guy over him. That said, theyd be making a mistake. Also, Denard is not the #1-2 WR. Thats pure hype
January 19th, 2012 at 2:25 PM ^
You're being generous. I'd say it's pure idiocy.
There's no question that Denard is a great athlete, but that does not necessarily translate into being a great, or even mediocre receiver. How good are his hands? Catching a pass from a cannon-armed QB is not the same as getting a shotgun snap. Can he catch the ball in traffic? Can he catch the ball when he knows he's going to get blasted a split-second after? Can he block reliably and consistently? How good is he in fighting off DBs during his route? Nobody knows, because he's never had to do these things.
Kiper's just talking out of his ass, which is hardly a unique thing for him.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^
January 19th, 2012 at 6:12 PM ^
I didn't neg you, but how's this for an explanation. Saying we all know he won't be an NFL QB is hardly offering an honest opinion of what will likely be Denard's NFL future. Offering your own opinion is fine. Claiming we all must agree with you, especially when you should know damn well that many do not, is going to get you negged.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^
He's gotta be better than Darrius Heyward-Bey, right?
I'm not saying he will be a good WR, but he does have the one thing that no coach in the NFL can teach, and that is his speed/acceleration/agility. After watching the Sports Science clip on Denard, I'd have to believe someone in the NFL could use his elite athleticism. Maybe not as first round pick, but worth the upside at 2 or 3.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^
He was a track star who played for the 49ers for a while under pretty much the same logic Kiper is using here. He had great speed but wasn't terribly successful and went back to track about a year or so after the 49ers drafted Jerry Rice.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:04 PM ^
I would guess that Molk will be lucky to be the #3 center off the board.
That said, if he really did say this about Denard, I think he's waaaay off base.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:39 PM ^
I'd take this extremely well. There is absolutely no chance that Denard can play QB in the NFL from what I've seen in college. Thus, if he's going to be drafted at WR or KR/PR, I'm glad he's a top flight candidate who will be getting paid.
The guy is one of the best people I've had the good fortune of watching on Saturdays and certainly deserves to get paid millions when he does head into the draft.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
I figured that he would be drafted as a Percy Harvin or Devin Hester type of player. Kick returns, punt returns, WR used for trick plays, speed back, etc.
You never know, though. Maybe Tebow, Newton, and RG3 make an impact on the NFL and some team takes Denard as a project to see if they can make a bit of the spread work in the NFL.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:22 PM ^
Well those guys are much bigger than Denard. The smallest guy on that list is RG3 and hes 6'2 215 and is a much better passe than Denard is. I love Denard, but there is a 0% chance he plays QB on sundays. Could def see him return kicks and be a wildcat type player.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:23 PM ^
Pat White? Playing baseball these days.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Harvin played a bunch of different positions at Florida inlcuding receiver. Denard may turn out to be a great receiver, but you simply don't know if he has the hands to play the position or, for that matter, return punts. I have often wondered why, as a freshman, they didn't try him on punt/kickoff returns.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^
We effectively had 2 QBs. You don't want to take the chance that you injure your backup.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:40 PM ^
I'd draft Denard #1 at my World Peace Convention, but that's just me.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:43 PM ^
million dollar grin is worth millions
January 19th, 2012 at 1:41 PM ^
I think it is an outrageous comment for sure. The response in the article, identifying a single play where he played receiver and didn't make a catch in tight coverage, was also ridiculous. Apparently, if you are a top receiver, you catch every ball thrown in your vicinity, even as a true freshman.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:44 PM ^
or with the right coaching, could turn into a poor man's desean jackson.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:11 PM ^
Who knows, he's clearly a smart kid who already understands WR routes. And his long, slender hands (slightly weird that I made that observation? Probably.) are probably very good at catching the football. I agree with Mel on this one (although we often don't, he and I)
EDIT: Not to mention Denard's attitude would probably go over better in an NFL locker room than Desean's
January 19th, 2012 at 2:03 PM ^
How bout a rich man's desean jackson? Denard clearly has a better attitude.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:46 PM ^
To say that Denard is a better NFL option at WR than Blackmon is borderline reckless. Perhaps Kiper is already making his lists for 2013 draft?
January 19th, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^
Is there a difference between an "option receiver" and a regular receiver? Is that another way of saying "slot" or "possession receiver"?
January 19th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
He said WR option
As in WR choice
January 19th, 2012 at 1:50 PM ^
Tacopants is the number one receiver. His height tends to give him an advantage.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
He's got infinite eligibility, and given that he's been here since... 2004?... I don't think he'll be declaring for the draft any time soon.
Though I heard that the Broncos might take Tacopants to help out Tebow. Just a rumor, but you never know
January 19th, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
Tebow's problem is more not getting the ball to the receiver or throwing it behind the receiver. As good as Tacopants is, I'm not sure he'd be able to assist Timmy Te-bow as much as we might think.
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<br>I'd like Brian to do a full UFR on this topic.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:32 PM ^
Nonsense. Tacopants has long arms befitting someone 11 feet tall so he can make those grabs behind him with ease.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
Hopefully Tacopants can leave in time for Denard's senior season. Tacopants is too selfish and gets to many catches.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^
Seeing as how Denard is not going to be in the draft this year and is not better at WR than Floyd or Blackmon. I do wonder if we'll see any Denard at WR plays next year with the further development of Devin.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:50 PM ^
Seems premature to project him as a receiver when there is no evidence on his hands or route-running ability. Wouldn't he be just as likely to end up at corner, where hands would be much less of an issue and QB experience usually helps in reading plays?
He'll return kickoffs and possibly punts in any case.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:51 PM ^
Well he wouldn't be the #1 or 2 prospect at QB so it's cool to see he could project really high at another position.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:51 PM ^
is an idiot. That is how you should take it.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^
So is Kiper really saying a 5'10-6' tall fast guy who's never played wide receiver could be the #1 or #2 receiver off the board next year i.e. a first rounder? Call me skeptical
January 19th, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
Desean Jackson is 5'10, 175 lb (but was taken in the second round). Still, pretty close
January 19th, 2012 at 2:07 PM ^
Yeah and Desean Jackson played receiver in college.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:50 PM ^
Roddy white , Jason Avant is 6 foot tall and Lance moore is 5'9 there plenty of receiver who are'nt 6'2 or taller and productive.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:54 PM ^
Kiper might have had an argument.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:00 PM ^
Didn't Denard make a comment earlier this year that he's never had a reception his entire career? He'll be a RB or a QB at the next level, IMO.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:06 PM ^
not big enough to be an nfl rb imo, and he has to dramatically improve his accuracy to have any hope of playing qb in the nfl. but hey, i've been wrong before. i'd love to see him become the next great nfl qb.
realistically, though, i see him as being a punt and kick returner. he needs to be in open space to utilize what really makes him special, and he could be really dangerous in that position. but who knows, he could be a wideout. i could also see him in on some wildcat or other trick plays.