Mel Kiper Jr. blasts Mike Tannenbaum for dropping Abdul Carter to No. 5 in latest mock

Mel Kiper Jr. couldn’t contain himself from calling out a decision in Mike Tannenbaum‘s latest NFL mock draft for ESPN. Tannenbaum had the New England Patriots passing up on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 4 overall pick.

Instead, he predicted the Patriots to take Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou. That lit a fire in Kiper on the draft special on ESPN2 on Tuesday, where he laid into Tannenbaum for the pick.

“I think if you’re the Patriots and you need that edge rusher and you’re getting the best or second-best player on your board, probably the best because the two quarterbacks go and Travis Hunter goes,” he said. “You can make an argument Abdul Carter is the best player on the board. We’re gonna get him at four as an edge rusher in a need area. You’re celebrating. Fireworks are going off in New England. But we’re passing on him for Membou?

“Now Jacksonville is celebrating because they get a guy who played off ball for two years and people forget that. Before he moved outside and was unleashed, he was off-ball making a ton of plays for the Nittany Lions. So great for Jacksonville, but for New England to pass on Carter, Mike, for this, Membou had to be one of your top two, three players on your board. Correct?”

Carter is widely considered the best defensive player in the draft and many believe he could even be the best overall. He led the FBS with 24 tackles for loss this past season to go along with 12 sacks as he earned first team All-American honors.

Tannenbaum explained the reasoning behind his pick, saying that New England needs to add protection for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. He conceded that he didn’t have Membou ranked among his top three players, but argued that the Patriots needed an offensive lineman more than they needed an edge rusher.

“He’s not top three, but Mel, if we were running the New England Patriots and Drake Maye was everything in our franchise, who is protecting him?” Tannenbaum said. “I don’t care if Abdul Carter is one, two or three on your board. Who is protecting Maye?”

Regardless of the need, however, Kiper believes you draft the best available player and that Carter has potential to have franchise-changing impact. That’s why it’s a no-brainer in his estimation.

“Right, but here I’m getting the 11th player on my board, Membou, as opposed to the second player in Carter and you’re picking fourth,” he said. “You’re really rejoicing because two quarterbacks went and you’re looking at your board saying, ‘OK, I’m getting No. 1 on my board at four. That’s amazing.’ It’s an edge rusher who plays hard every play. Seals the edge, plays the run, does everything. Has that versatility. He’s a great football player.

“He’s special. There’s two special players in this draft: Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. You’re getting one of those guys at four. But Mike Tannenbaum’s sitting here saying, ‘We gotta get Drake Maye protection. We’re gonna force it. We’re gonna force a need and pass on one of the best players, if not the best player, in this draft.’”

The post Mel Kiper Jr. blasts Mike Tannenbaum for dropping Abdul Carter to No. 5 in latest mock appeared first on On3.