ESPN's Kiper stands behind his pre-draft grade of Tom Brady
Tom Brady was the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines 20 years ago. Entering the 2000 NFL Draft, renowned ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. graded Tom Brady based on what he saw, and it wasn't great.
Twenty years have passed and Kiper still stands behind the pre-draft grade and ranking that he gave Brady.
Kiper's reaction to his scouting report on Tom Brady
Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Michigan quarterback a 5th-round grade and ranked him the 10th-best quarterback in the 2000 NFL Draft. Kiper still feels 20 years later that his notes that he recorded on Tom Brady are still fair today. He does say that no one could've predicted the success that Tom Brady has obtained in his 20-year NFL career.
Kiper would go on saying that he was at the 2000 NFL Draft and thought the 199th pick was a fair pick for Tom Brady. He actually liked the New England Patriots selecting Tom Brady in the sixth round. Kiper would go on in the article saying that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time and the greatest draft pick of all time.
Evaluating Tom Brady's NFL Draft Scouting Report
Looking at the scouting report that Mel Kiper Jr. put out on Tom Brady was pretty accurate and does seem fair. Let's take a look at the Pros and Cons of Tom Brady's 2000 NFL Draft Scouting Report.
Pros:
- Smart
- Big-game signal-caller
- Efficient
- Stands tall in the pocket and doesn't get nervous
- Works through his progressions well and doesn't try to perform beyond his capability
- Brady is accurate and throws a catchable ball and knows when to take some heat off the ball when he throws it
Evaluating Kiper's scouting report for the Pros on Tom Brady
When looking at the pros to Mel Kiper Jr's scouting report of Tom Brady it does seem spot on. Brady does have one of the best football IQ's we have ever seen. He does not get rattled often if at all in the big moments of a football game or season.
Tom Brady works through every option before deciding where he wants to throw the football. He has shown throughout his 20 year career that he can make the big game signal calls when needed. One thing that should be added to the report is that Brady is a leader on and off the football field.
Cons:
- Lacks mobility
- Could have problems if forced to throw the football down the field
- Does not have the total package of skills for an NFL quarterback
- Ran a 5.24 40-yard dash
- Had a 24.5 inch vertical jump
Evaluating Kiper's scouting report for the Pros on Tom Brady
Mel Kiper Jr hit the cons on Tom Brady pretty well. He does still lack mobility but what he lacks in mobility he makes up for it in heart. Brady really hasn't shown in 20 years that he has an issue throwing the football down the field.
His 40-yard dash time really isn't a factor and neither is his vertical jump. The New England Patriots didn't draft him for his 40-yard dash time or his vertical jump. Tom Brady may not have had the total package of skills coming out of the University of Michigan, but like his mobility his heart took him over the top.
Tom Brady 20 years later is the G.O.A.T.
Putting all of the 2000 NFL Draft talk aside, Tom Brady will go down as the greatest NFL quarterback to ever play. His 6 Super Bowl Rings will go down as one of the best accomplishments in professional sports. Mel Kiper Jr was doing his job and it was pretty accurate for the most part.
No one could have ever predicted that Brady would be the player he is today. He is definitely a generational talent and we may never seen another Tom Brady. Patrick Mahomes is a great quarterback, but he was not a sixth round pick.
Tom Brady going in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft will go down as one of the biggest sleepers in draft history. To come out of the sixth round and break majority of the NFL records at the quarterback position, is just unheard of and we may never see it done ever again.
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