In these strange NFL days, we basically only have labor news and draft news. That means that a conference call held by ESPN’s Mel Kiper qualifies as news.
Since you guys couldn’t be on his media session Wednesday, we jotted down the most interesting parts:
1. Kiper believes the Browns should take a wide receiver at No. 6, and then pick a defensive lineman in the second round. Based on everything we hear about A.J. Green and Julio Jones, we agree.
2. Among the second tier of quarterbacks (Behind Newton/Gabbert/Locker/Mallett), Kiper likes Andy Dalton’s chances of having a long career as a starter best. Behind Dalton, he likes Rickey Stanzi from Iowa. Dalton could go anywhere from the end of the first round to the third round.
3. Kiper believes Da’Quan Bowers would have been a top-two pick if healthy, but now has him dropping to No. 12 to Minnesota. Kiper still ranks Bowers as the fifth best player in the draft. The top four all are all defenders: Patrick Peterson, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus, and Nick Fairley.
4. On UNC defensive end Robert Quinn, ranked seventh by Kiper: “Had he played this year, maybe first, second, or third pick overall.”