NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr held a media conference call where he fielded questions on the upcoming 2018 draft.
Early in the call, Kiper downplayed Josh Allen, his #1 pick at this time, and his lack of accuracy. Of Allen’s completion percentage, Kiper stated, “That’s history now…he didn’t show any (accuracy issues) during the Combine or Pro Day. Didn’t show it in the bowl game…he’s made dramatic improvement and silenced a lot of critics.”
When asked why his analysis of Allen’s accuracy differed from his analysis of Lamar Jackson, Kiper rambled and gave an assortment of answers.
He spoke on Jackson’s size and compared him to Rich Gannon while stating that Allen “got better and better”, had a great bowl game, and started the season off with a high grade. Throw in some quotes about a past QB switching to another position and mumblings about Jackson being “all over the place” at the Combine and the question was still unanswered.
Kiper went on to say that being picked at #12 or #15 would be a great opportunity for Jackson and that he would be in similar position as the four QBs he has ranked ahead of the former Heisman trophy winner.
You can’t use a statistic to criticize one player and omit the same statistic when analyzing another player – especially at the same position.
