Mel Kiper Jr. (/ˈkaɪpər/ KY-pər; born July 25, 1960) is an analyst covering American football for ESPN. Kiper has appeared on ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984. He has been widely credited for establishing mock drafting and is regarded as one of the first draftniks alongside Joel Buchsbaum.
Mel Kiper Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Kiper in 2009 | |
| Born | July 25, 1960 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Essex Community College |
| Occupation | Football commentator |
| Employer | ESPN |
Career
Kiper said that he approached Ernie Accorsi, then-assistant general manager of the Baltimore Colts, with draft reports while still a student in high school. Accorsi told him that there was a market for draft information and suggested that Kiper convert his analysis into a business. The original contract he signed with ESPN in 1984 was for $400.
Kiper and fellow draft analyst Todd McShay are often featured together and compare their mock drafts on ESPN programs. Kiper compiles a "big board", on which he ranks his top 25 players every week.
Accuracy
Kiper has received sustained criticism for the low accuracy of his predictions. According to Cold Hard Football Facts, Kiper's accuracy for the first round of the 2005–2008 NFL drafts was 32 of 127 total picks (25.2%), which included players that had already signed or were in the process of signing with a team before the draft. According to The Huddle Report in 2014, based on Kiper's final mock drafts, he had accurately predicted 23% of the first round picks in the previous five years. Kiper's initial drafts were even lower, correctly predicting 17 out of 256 from 2010–2018. In 2021, FantasyPros ranked Kiper's final mock draft 87th of 182 and Grading the Experts ranked his draft 32nd of 38. In 2023, Kiper correctly predicted only one of the 31 draftees in the first round despite updating his analysis on the morning of the NFL draft after gathering additional information.
In other media
- Kiper voices himself as the ESPN draft expert, has his own mock draft in ESPN NFL 2K5 and is "unlockable" as a free agent longsnapper.[citation needed]
- Kiper appears in NFL Head Coach as a draft expert.
- Kiper appears in Madden NFL 07 and 08 during the pre-draft workout period.
Personal life
Kiper was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His wife Kim, whom he married in 1989, assists him in running Mel Kiper Enterprises from their Baltimore home. They have one daughter.