Kiper's Late Risers and Fallers....

[NewColtsFan]

I'm cutting and pasting some of the story,  but not all of the story....  it's premium on ESPN.com....

 

But I'm trying to give you enough to give you some idea of Kiper's views...   the comments will either be Kiper's,  or info that he's acquired and his passing along....

 

Risers on offense

 

Landry Jones: QB, Oklahoma
He's not in the first-round discussion, but Jones has recovered some in the eyes of a number of teams who once might have seen him as a talented lost cause. When he's fundamentally sound, he shows off a ton of arm talent. Once a likely mid-to-late rounder, I wouldn't be shocked if someone took him in the late second round.

 

Eddie Lacy: RB, Alabama
At one time I know some teams saw him as third-rounder, but he could sneak his way into the late first. He's got a big frame, great feet and is the most explosive running back who can come close to an "every-down" label.

 

Tavon Austin: WR, West Virginia
You loved the tape, but was the speed real? Well, his 4.34 40 time in Indy combined with good straight-line speed, very good hands and route-running chops have solidified him as a mid-first rounder.

 

Lane Johnson: T, Oklahoma
The junior college quarterback clearly made the right call when he moved to offensive tackle. Teams that once saw him as a talented natural at the position but with plenty of development, now see him as a potential top-10 pick. He has made a huge jump in a few months.

 

Gavin Escobar: TE, San Diego State
It's a tight-end crazy league, and outside of Tyler Eifert, nobody in the draft class has a better set of hands than Escobar. He'll look like a power forward splitting the seam, and where I once saw a mid-round sleeper, I now see a safe bet for Round 2.

 

Risers on defense

 

Ezekial Ansha: DE, BYU
Once teams got comfortable with his future position to go with the freakish athleticism, his stock really took off. He came into January as a late-first, early-second developmental talent; now he could go as high as No. 5.

 

Sharriff Floyd: DT, Florida
A late-season surge helped his stock, and Floyd has aced the draft process. I had a mid-first grade on him most of the season, but he's now comfortably in the top-five mix. That may not seem like a huge leap, but it counts for more in a deep D-tackle class.

 

Sio Moore: OLB, UConn
I highlighted him during the season as a prospect to watch, and Moore has moved from the mid-round mix to a good bet for Round 2. He offers some versatility at outside linebacker.

 

Desmond Trufant: CB, Washington
He crushed the Senior Bowl, then backed it up with a great run in Indy. Trufant is versatile and able to mirror receivers outside, but adept in zone. You can draft him without scheme concerns -- he'll produce. Once a likely third, he's now in the first-round mix.

 

Jonathon Cyprian: S, Florida International
He's now right there with Kenny Vaccarro (Texas) and Matt Elam (Florida) on my board. Cyprien turned heads at the Senior Bowl once he got a chance to play with so many good players. It wouldn't surprise me if he's taken in Round 1.

 

Fallers on offense

 

 

Mike Glennon: QB, North Carolina State
The arm strength is there, but everything else has been up and down for Glennon, who is simply too inconsistent in his reads, and doesn't pick up things quickly enough for some evaluators. He may simply need the reps, but he's no longer a first-round pick, which is something I thought we could see if you asked me in December.

 

Giovanni Bernard: RB, North Carolina
His versatility is there, but given his small stature, the speed needs to be a little better for teams to consider him in the late-first or early-second. He at one time challenged to be the top RB on my board, but is now likely a third-rounder.

 

Marquess Wilson: WR, Washington State
This fall actually started before January. He quit the team in Pullman, and there are questions about his work rate, as well as strength and speed. He's probably going to be a steal, but I once saw him as a likely second-rounder, and now that won't be the case.

 

Jordan Reed: TE, Florida
He needed to show off elite speed for the position, because he checked in at just 236 pounds in Indy. A 4.72 in the 40 hurt, and several tight ends passed him. A good player, but we're not sure he's quite the matchup threat we once thought he could be.

 

Ricky Wagner T, Wisconsin
Your market dips as an offensive lineman when your biggest question mark is pass-blocking. Once a good bet for the second round, he could be off the board in the fourth.

 

Fallers on defense

 

Bjoem Werner: DE, Florida State
He took a tumble at the combine, where he looked pretty stiff in workouts and didn't show off any elite athletic traits. What Werner has is a year of really high productivity, but teams aren't convinced he can scare defenses. He could go in the late first or early second, but I once viewed him as top-10 pick.

 

Damontre Moore: DE, Texas A&M
Moore arrived in Indy as a good pass-rushing prospect in either a 3-4 or 4-3, and left with questions about how well he fits in either. He's not as fast or with the cover skills you want in a 3-4, nor is he strong enough to play three downs in a 4-3. He could be a steal, because he sure produced in college. But he could be out of Round 1 entirely on most boards.

 

Sam Montgomery: DE, LSU
He didn't interview well, and needed to be more productive to ease the concerns of some teams. No longer near the first round.

 

Johnathan Banks: CB, Mississippi St.
Hasn't been bad during this process, but just was surpassed by some other corners. He could be a good value in Round 2, but no longer in the late-first picture on my board.

 

Tony Jefferson: S, Oklahoma
Another player who could be a good NFL safety, but has dipped because of how much so many others have shown during the evaluation process. More likely a mid-round pick now.

[LockeDown]

Landry Jones is rising only because every other QB is falling.  He looks like a franchise QB but he seems to make really bad decisions.

 

All of those defensive fallers are going to make our first pick pretty interesting.  I like almost all of them.  I can't wait.

[T Y Goodbye]

Landry Jones is rising only because every other QB is falling.  He looks like a franchise QB but he seems to make really bad decisions.

 

All of those defensive fallers are going to make our first pick pretty interesting.  I like almost all of them.  I can't wait.

 

I'm an OU fan, and have watched Jones throughout his career..He can make all the throws, has great arm strength, and is accurate..But he plays scared. More often than not, he makes bad decisions,when there is any kind of pressure..in other words.. He has Happy feet..and he hasn't shown the ability to shake off and forget about is if he makes a bad throw or play.

 

If he could ever learn to be more confident and sure of himself, he could become a decent, to good NFL QB..I myself, just don't see it...He's worth a flyer to anyone team that needs a QB, but I see him as forever being a Jim Sorgi clipboard holder in the NFL.

[Mr. Blue]

I hope we can get a Defensive stud like Damontre Moore or Bjoern Werner (I know, he fits a lot better in a 4-3 but we'd find a position for him)

[Mr. Blue]

I hope we can get a Defensive stud like Damontre Moore or Bjoern Werner (I know, he fits a lot better in a 4-3 but we'd find a position for him)

I mention these guys cuz they've both been falling since a bad combine, a dumb reason for teams to drop a player.

[ColtsBlueFL]

I mention these guys cuz they've both been falling since a bad combine, a dumb reason for teams to drop a player.

 

I always wondered if Kiper's list's were his own judgments or is it influenced by leaks from reams, or insiders, etc...

 

One thing , trust Nothing teams say right now, and be prepared for the totally unexpected on draft day.