Mel Kiper Jr.
Mel Kiper Jr. is the most iconic NFL Draft analyst in media history. He has been ESPN's lead draft expert since 1984 — over 40 years — making him synonymous with the NFL Draft itself. His annual mock drafts, big boards, and player rankings are among the most-read draft content in the industry.
On the Huddle Report ↗, Kiper scored 47 out of 64 points in 2025 — his first year tracked on the platform. On FantasyPros ↗, he has a strong 5-year track record: #14 in 2022 (165 pts), #15 in 2025 (161 pts), and #16 in 2024 (176 pts). His final mock draft is typically published the morning of the draft on ESPN.
Year-by-Year Accuracy
Scoring: 1 pt for player placed in Round 1, 2 pts for player-team match. Maximum possible score is 64 per year (32 picks × 2 pts).
Sources & Links
Head-to-Head Comparisons
See Also
Think you can beat Mel Kiper Jr.? Build your own mock draft and find out.
Mel Kiper Jr. Mock Draft Accuracy: The Godfather of the NFL Draft
Mel Kiper Jr. has been ESPN's lead NFL Draft analyst since 1984, making him the longest-tenured and most recognized mock draft analyst in sports media. His annual mock drafts — often published in multiple versions leading up to draft day — are among the most widely read and debated pieces of NFL Draft content each year.
While Kiper was only first tracked on the Huddle Report in 2025 (scoring 47/64), his FantasyPros track record stretches back to at least 2021. His best FantasyPros finishes include #14 in 2022 (165/320 pts), #15 in 2025 (161/320 pts), and #16 in 2024 (176/320 pts) — consistently landing in the top tier of mock drafters despite the enormous competition (300+ tracked analysts).
See his complete pick-by-pick breakdowns for each year on the individual year pages, or compare his accuracy against other ESPN analysts like Todd McShay and Matt Miller on the full leaderboard.