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Buzzmaster

  (1:01 PM)

We're getting Mel!

Mel Kiper

  (1:01 PM)

Great week of college football. The NFL kicks off on Sunday. Hopefully we can cover a lot of bases today.

Nick ((Spokane))

Mel, I recently bought an Aaron Curry jersey. Was this a good investment, or is he going to be a bust?

Mel Kiper

  (1:03 PM)

I like Aaron Curry. In terms of his overall skills, I've never seen him to be a dominate player. He's a very well rounded OLB. He's very effective on a blitz. He's just a good solid, all around LB. He's not a fear factor LB, pass rushing, tons of sacks, always getting to the QB. An all around very solid player.

Luke (San Antonio, Tx)

Greenbay how do you see them this year??

Mel Kiper

  (1:05 PM)

I like the Packers. The Packers and the Bears, that's the game of the week, really. That's the best game, opening week. Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers and that new look defense. Jay Cutler's first game. I think Chicago has a chance to go deep into the playoffs. I think both of these teams are Super Bowl contenders. I like the Bears more than the Packers, but it doesn't matter how the first game goes. It won't tell you where the teams will be in January. Cutler's still new to this program. The defense has to be significantly better than last year. I think the Bears midseason are going to be rolling. They'll get momentum. I think they win the division with Green Bay second.

Adam (New York, NY)

I can't remember seeing a safety rated as highly as you have Eric Berry. What is it that separates him from the others you've seen?

Mel Kiper

  (1:06 PM)

You don't end up with the ball in your hand as much as Eric Berry does without having skills. He's a proven playmaker. He's like Ed Reed. He always makes the big INT, the INT return, causing fumbles. Great coverage skills. He's not going to be an intimidator like Taylor Mays. He doesn't have off the charts physical prowess.

Jake (Seattle, WA)

What are your thoughts on Jake Locker? He looked really good on Saturday.

Mel Kiper

  (1:09 PM)

He's still going to work through some of the rust. There's some rust there coming back from the injury. The coaching change will be a big benefit. They didn't win a game last year, but they will win a game this year. He will be the fourth highest rated player this year in a very good class of junior QBs. Idaho they play this week. They should be able to get their first win in over a year this week. Notre Dame is a tough game. As long as they don't come out of the Stanford game and others without a lot of injuries. At ASU, they could hang in there. There's a potential of 6-win season. I'd say 4 wins is very possible, but maybe even 6 if they pull some upsets.

michelle (chicago)

if the chicago bears defense is anywhere near where they were in 2006 do any team in the league have a chance?

Mel Kiper

  (1:10 PM)

They're going to be a work in progress with Cutler at QB. Rod Marinelli's influence on the defense is going to be huge. Nobody argues that he's one of the best DL coaches in the NFL. His coaching accumen will make this group, which didn't get the job done at all last year, much better.

Mel Kiper

  (1:11 PM)

That was a very poor DL last year in Chicago. That's why they drafted some DL where they did this year.

Clay (Oakland, CA)

Better debut, Matt Barkley or Blaine Gabbert?

Mel Kiper

  (1:13 PM)

I'd say Gabbert. He doesn't have the talent around him that Barkley does. He went up against an Illinois team that was favored. They rolled to an easy victory. USC was a huge favorite. They were at home, expected to win. Missouri was at a neutral site and was the underdog. Barkley did well, but this week will be a test for him. The great matchup in that game is the DE's for OSU Cameron Heyward and Thaddeus Gibson will be working against USC's OTs, Charles Brown and Tyron Smith. That's a matchup that will present some challenges for USC.

Mel Kiper

  (1:14 PM)

That matchup will have a lot to say who wins that game.

Jonathan (Orange, TX)

The cowboys should run the ball more this year, but will Roy Williams be able to get open and be a threat down the field. Im worried!

Mel Kiper

  (1:16 PM)

In terms of the overall Cowboys football team, if the attitude is better and more focused as a football team...last year, they came out and had some success, but then things went awry. They were inconsistent. They were too much in the spotlight. There was too much Me and I's and not enough We and Us's. Felix Jones and Marion Barber running the ball will be a big part. Their WRs are OK. Jones' impact, if healthy, he's a game breaker.

joe (chicago)

care to make a prediction for the michigan/nd game? i'm thinking 28-10 ND.

Mel Kiper

  (1:19 PM)

The biggest matchup in that game Brandon Graham against Sam Young. They have to keep Clausen upright in the pocket. Also, Donovan Warren, CB for Michigan, very physical CB. He is a junior. He will be going up against Michael Floyd. He had a great game last week. Golden Tate on the other side as well. He's a junior. Whoever Warren is matched up against will be a good thing for scouts to watch. I'm going with Notre Dame. Clausen is a junior. Forcier is a freshman. I like how the defense is attacking. If Sam Young can neutralize Graham and give Clausen some time, it should be good for ND. Those two matchups will have a lot to say about the outcome of the game.

lewis (Augusta,GA)

WILL A.J. GREEN BE DRAFTED IN THE TOP 10 WHEN HE COMES OUT FOR HIS SENIOR YEAR?

Mel Kiper

  (1:20 PM)

AJ Green should be right up there. He and Julio Jones are two dynamic WRs. Green has great hands. The new QB for Georgia will be key for Green. He has a lot of new entities in the offense. He's a great player. Stephon Gilmore, true freshman CB, has great ability and potential. We'll have to see how much they match him up with Green.

Jason (Kalamazoo)

Hey Mel, love the hair. Do you think Carlos Dunlap will live up to his hype this season?

Mel Kiper

  (1:22 PM)

I think he will. This is an excellent week to see. Florida plays Troy and they have Brandon Lang, who's a tremendous pass rusher. Dunlap is as well. He's like Mario Williams. In this game, you'll be able to watch two outstanding DEs. Troy had a disappointing loss in the first week. This is a team that has had DeMarcus Ware, Leodis McKelvin, Osi Umeniyora. This team has a nice lineage of sending a lot of good defensive players into the NFL.

Mel Kiper

  (1:23 PM)

Dunlap, with his enormous potential, is the third highest rated player on my draft board.

Nick (Atlanta)

Mel, do you ever see Syracuse as being a Big East powerhouse, like it used to be? They've been down for so long, any chance they'll rise up again?

Mel Kiper

  (1:26 PM)

They impressed me Saturday. It was a nice performance. They didn't win, but the did some nice things. Last year, the beat Notre Dame. Arthur Jones is an outstanding player. Mike Williams showed what kind of ability he had. To see Greg Paulus to be away from football for so long showed great understanding of the game. Minnesota is a good football team. They're a bowl caliber team and Syracuse took them to OT. Now they have PSU. The key is to watch Arthur Jones against the PSU interior line. Junior C Wisniewski, who will be battling Jones on a lot of plays. Syracuse has a chance at 4 or 5 wins this year. This week, Penn State presents some challenges that Minnesota didn't - they have a strong, strong running game, a QB that has experience, strong DL. The secondary is what we'll have to watch with PSU and see how Paulus gets the ball to Williams.

john (cincinnati)

mel, what is your take on ohio st vs usc? which team has more pro prospects on the field this saturday?

Mel Kiper

  (1:28 PM)

Pro prospects are hard to judge, because you have to look at juniors. But if you just look at draft eligible players, Ohio State has roughly 9. USC has around 12.

Mel Kiper

  (1:30 PM)

That doesn't ensure that USC wins the football game, but it helps. Barkley going into a hostile environment with OSU's top DEs. Game management for Barkley needs to be something he needs to prove he can do. Let's see if his game management is a game issue. If it is, then OSU has a chance to pull the upset. They're going to try and take pressure off Barkley, runs, short passes, put him in a comfort zone where he has guys around him and he's almost like a point guard, dishing the ball around. Last week the FB had 3 catches, the TE had 3 catches. They go 4 deep at RB. Damian Williams had a nice week. They're trying to take pressure off the QB.

Allen (Naples, Italy)

What would Jonathan Dwyer need to do this year to improve his draft status?

Mel Kiper

  (1:32 PM)

He's a power back. Powerful with break away speed, with pads on. People don't run him down in games. Tomorrow night against Clemson will be a bigger test. They have a very tough schedule. They play a lot of good football teams. Dwyer runs hard. He runs with power. I think he's the best RB overall in the country, with Jahvid Best having a really good game against Maryland. What impressed me about him is his pass blocking. He's becoming more of a complete back. Both are juniors. Both are going into the NFL draft as first rounders.

Joe (FL)

Mel, what do you think about Miami DT Allen Bailey as a pro prospect? Will he be able to get the Canes back into Round 1?

Mel Kiper

  (1:34 PM)

When you look at DTs, there are a lot of them this year. He's got the size you want. No question he has ability. But when you look at the junior class, there's a lot of quality at DT. Gerald McCoy, Bryan Price, Marvin Austin, Phil Taylor, Jarvis Jenkins. But Bailey has the ability and the size and quickness you want.

VK (DC)

Score was close, but Alabama absolutely dominated V-Tech. Tide have a shot at the National Title?

Mel Kiper

  (1:37 PM)

Yes they do. I thought that back at the beginning of the year. Their defense will continue to improve. Terrence Cody at DT. The key elements are at LB and CB. Jackson, their junior CB, did a real nice job in that game. Offensively, they can run the football. Roy Upchurch, look at the job he did. Lot of talent at RB. Julio Jones at WR. The OL is the issue, coming together. Their big game is at Ole Miss on Oct. 10. Huge game. They'll be 5-0, most likely. After that, LSU, Nov. 7, but other than that, their schedule is very favorable. They get a nice break on Nov. 21 playing Chattanooga at home. They get North Texas. Virginia Tech, Florida International, North Texas and Chattanooga are their out of conference games, all at home.

brian (seattle)

Mel, Is there an OT in college right now that can compare to Walter Jones?

Mel Kiper

  (1:40 PM)

Trent Williams from Oklahoma. He did a good job for most of the game against BYU. When Bradford was hurt, there was an issue if he should have chipped the LB coming through or not. For the majority of that game, he did a good job against LB Jan Jorgensen. Russell Okung is in my top 10. In terms of the junior class, Bryan Bulaga from Iowa. Is there a Walter Jones in the group? I don't know about that. Okung has that rugged mentality that you like to see. He has that mean streak you like in a LT. He's a kid that I don't think gets enough recognition for the player that he is.

Chad (Las Vegas)

What games should we watch this weekend besides UM/ND and USC/OSU?

Mel Kiper

  (1:43 PM)

It's not a great slate. Those are the two. There are a couple of other games to keep an eye from a scouting perspective: SC-Georgia, Stanford-Wake, UCLA-Tennessee, Purdue-Oregon, Houston-OK State, E. Carolina-WVU, Vanderbilt-LSU, Central Michigan-Michigan St. The matchup in the MSU game, their CB Chris L. Rucker against the WRs. Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown, both working against the talented corner in Rucker.

Mel Kiper

  (1:44 PM)

Lewis, CB from Vandy against Lafell and Tolliver from LSU. Whether he's working against either guy, they both have excellent size. That will be a good opportunity to see Lewis against bigger WRs.

Joe (FL)

Did Monday night's game hurt Patrick Robinson's stock as a top 2009 CB?

Mel Kiper

  (1:45 PM)

I moved him down a little bit. There are some issues there. The way Harris moved in the pocket, he showed great awareness in the pocket. He put the ball where he needed to. Great vision. Get the ball to the right guy. Robinson, we knew needed to be more consistent. But a large part of Monday was Harris moving around in the pocket.

STEVE (LAKEPORT,CA)

Does Bradford's injury effect his draft status for next years draft.?

Mel Kiper

  (1:47 PM)

It depends on how he comes back from it. It doesn't appear to be very serious. If he's back in 3-4 weeks, how he performs will be key. He has to hold off Colt McCoy. Jevan Snead struggled a little bit against Memphis. He needs to cut back on the INTs. McCoy is the challenger. It could be a two way battle for that number one pick. McCoy has a very high grade. He's the 6th highest rated player on my Big Board. Bradford is still No. 1, but we'll have to see how he comes back. The OL is rebuilt. Gresham is out for the year. That injury really hurts this offense. But Bradford still has a chance to be the No. 1 pick, but McCoy is right on his heels.

Mel Kiper

  (1:49 PM)

Jordan Shipley, by the way, for Texas had an excellent game last week. He gives McCoy the go to option that he wouldn't have had if Shipley moved on.

john (cincinnati)

mel, what in the world is crabtree doing?

Mel Kiper

  (1:52 PM)

You've got me. Your guess is as good as mine. I said a long time ago that it's financial suicide to stay out. You're talking about a year's worth of money that you can't get back. Your career is limited. You're not going to be playing football when your 50. You can't through that year away. If you're not happy with the money you're getting, come in and wait for free agency. As a WR, who came out early and was dealing with an injury is mind boggling to me. You were drafted behind Heyward-Bey and you're not getting that kind of money. Everyone around him is signed. It can't be that difficult. If you're the last guy to be signed, and there was a WR taken ahead of you, you're not getting that money. It doesn't matter where Mel Kiper rated you or Todd McShay rated you. It doesn't matter if you were rated No. 5, you were drafted 10th. To try and hit the jackpot and get the contract to be perfect and miss all of camp, you're really missing out. I'm dumbfounded by it.

Mel Kiper

  (1:53 PM)

Once you hold out as long as you have, you box yourself into a corner. What are you holding out for? The team has had camp. To push this as far as they had, to go back into the draft is ridiculous.

TMani (Cleveland)

Thoughts on James Davis taking over for Jamal Lewis? Timeframe? Probability? Worth a flyer on Davis in a 15-team league?

Mel Kiper

  (1:55 PM)

James Davis has done a nice job. I liked him at various stages of his career in Clemson. I probably didn't rate him as high as I should have. I thought I gave him a decent grade. But when you're productive, you're productive. He's a north-south runner. He's not going to break a ton of long runs. He'll lower his head and shoulders and take on the defense. He only fumbled twice in the 805 career touches at Clemson. He ran a 4.55 at the combine. Good strength. I don't think he'll be a Pro Bowl caliber RB, but as a solid, productive, reliable RB, that's what he was at Clemson.

Mel Kiper

  (1:57 PM)

This is another example of what I've been preaching for 33 years now - you can find RBs with ability at various stages in the draft. In this case, you're talking about a guy that was the 195th pick, in the 6th round. There were 13 RBs taken ahead of him. This was a guy that at one point in time was looking like a 2nd round pick and he went in the 6th round. I had him in my projection, I had him in the early fourth round.

mike (pittsburgh)

are the Lions making a mistake starting Stafford this week?

Mel Kiper

  (2:01 PM)

I wouldn't have. I can't say it's a mistake. I was a big STafford fan. I thought it was the only move they could make in drafting him. But I would have let Culpepper start the season. It's a win-win. If Culpepper wins some games, Stafford is there learning. If he struggles, you have Stafford there to come in. I understand why they did it. Stafford and Johnson have developed good chemistry. A lot of coaches and QBs believe that the way you get better is to play. Peyton Manning's made that point. If you believe that, and Matthew Stafford did not do poorly in the preseason. But that's vanilla defenses. The information I get is that Stafford is out there for the long haul. Even if he throws 3 INTs a game the first 6 weeks, he's still out there. There is some risk to it and he'll take a lot of criticism. There were some people that thought he was overrated. Those naysayers, if he starts poorly, will be pounding their chests. I don't care if they were 0-16 last year, it's what have you done for me lately. People saw Flacco and Ryan, but it's completely different, this was an 0-16 team. How does he deal with the negativity? Can he work his way through that and improve?

Mel Kiper

  (2:02 PM)

There's a school of thought that says you should be Carson Palmer and sit out that first year. Then there's the school of thought like Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman that you should play right away.

Mel Kiper

  (2:03 PM)

We have a great week of games. It's great to have the NFL back. I wish Labor Day weekend would involve the NFL. There's nothing better than the start of the NFL season on Sunday.