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Phil Riewer -> RE: Gopher Football (3/27/2015 11:40:11 AM)
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Kiper weighs in on Thompson and Cobb's draft prospects
Posted by: Joe Christensen under NFL draft, Gophers awards and honors Updated: March 26, 2015 - 1:25 PM 6 commentsprint
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Former Gophers safety Cedric Thompson didn’t get an invite to the NFL Combine, but he had a big pro day earlier this month and has drawn steady interest from teams including the Vikings and Texans.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper currently ranks Thompson as the No. 10 safety on this year's board.
“You love the way he plays,” Kiper said in a teleconference Thursday. “His game day tapes are very solid. He’s adequate in coverage. He’s a good tackler, he makes plays, and he’s another guy, very instinctive.
“So when you look at a poor safety group, that’s why I moved him in there [to the Top 10]. If this was a strong safety group, he wouldn’t be a 10. He’d be 17-18. It’s just not that type of year. Those kind of guys make it in this league, guys who can set up a defense that are consistent week to week, that understand how to play the game.
“That’s more important than physical qualifications at safety. So I would say he’s maybe an undrafted free agent or a late-Day 3 pick.”
Williams still top tight end, Cobb at No. 10 for running backs
Kiper has had had Maxx Williams ranked as the No. 1 tight end on the board. The Saints seem like a potential fit with two first-round picks after trading Jimmy Graham. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Saints draft Williams at No. 31.
Cobb injured a quad at the Combine, but has his pro day scheduled for April 13. (Updated.)
“For running backs, it’s about performance, and Cobb had a heck of a year, and he’s a 230-pound running back who’s got a lot of ability,” Kiper said. “This guy isn’t flashy. He isn’t a guy who gives you the wow type of runs, but the chains keep moving with him.”
If Thompson benefits from being part of a weaker safety crop, Cobb could have the opposite situation at running back. This is considered a very deep running back class led by Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley.
“I think Cobb -- because running backs drop probably a round or two further than they should -- maybe he goes in the fourth-fifth round. But he’s going to play in this league. We forget all the third-round picks who are really good players, I think if he’s a fourth-fifth, he’s still going to be in that really good group.”
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