ESPN recently ended their love affair with Joe Theismann and Michael Irvin, but you know they are on the lookout for the next great idiot to provide expert analysis. However Mel Kiper is someone who is always worth listening to. He's entertaining, but if he really was all knowing, then he would be running some team's draft board. David at Niners Nation pointed out an old Kiper article that did a recap of the recently ended 2004 draft. Otherwise known as the draft class that got Mike Sherman fired as GM. Kiper gave the Packers draft a grade of C+:
"The Packers needed help in the secondary and got just that in cornerback Ahmad Carroll. Joey Thomas is a hard worker and a solid pick in the third round, and while Donnell Washington slipped to the third round, his talent could be an asset if he develops some consistency and gets his motor running. The third round was a little early to take punter B.J. Sander and the late-round picks were just OK."
Kiper could have not been any more wrong in analysis than he could have been. Less than three seasons later, all four players that Kiper discusses have all been released. Carroll is the only player that might be on an NFL roster. The punchline is the two "OK" late-round picks; 6th round pick DT Corey Williams was one of the more productive interior pass rushers in the NFL in 2006, finishing with 7 sacks, and 7th round pick C Scott Wells is a solid NFL center. Still in no way a great draft, but just a great example how likely it is that so many people will be completely wrong about the players selected in the draft later this month.