Jimmy Clausen went 1-13 as an NFL starter with 7 TDs and 14 INTs. He hasn’t played in the NFL since 2015, by any metric that wouldn’t be considered a successful career.
Awful Announcing pointed out eight years ago Mel Kiper said this.
Kiper had Clausen ranked as the fourth best prospect in the entire 2010 NFL Draft even though most other draft pundits had the QB projected to go in the second round (Clausen was subsequently selected 48th overall by the Carolina Panthers). At the time, people accused Kiper of being biased since he and Clausen shared the same agent, Gary Wichard.
But Kiper only dug in his heels further, making this infamous proclamation on ESPN:
“If Jimmy Clausen is not a successful quarterback in the NFL, I’m done. That’s it. I’m out.”
Replied McShay: “What is your time frame, Mel? When do we make that assessment?”
Kiper: “I want eight years.”
McShay: “It will only take three years, Mel. We can tell inside three years.”
Kiper: “I want eight.”
He got his eight years (and Five extra) and if he is a man of his word he will retire immediately after this year’s draft.
Here is Kiper being wrong a lot.