5 times Mel Kiper Jr. correctly predicted the future of an NFL Draft prospect

Mel Kiper Jr. has served as an NFL Draft analyst for nearly 40 years and is one of the most recognized "draft experts" in the world. One of the things he's most famous for are his mock drafts leading up to the NFL Draft every year. He attempts to correctly predict all the picks in each draft, which is something he has made popular, and many other NFL analysts have followed suit by attempting to do so as well.

Kiper usually releases his first official mocks each year around January or February as the NFL season winds down. He will then adjust his predictions as the NFL offseason plays itself out and the NFL Draft gets closer. Predicting some of the picks, especially towards the very top, becomes a bit easier as the draft gets closer and news comes out about which players teams are targeting.

While predicting the outcome of the NFL Draft is extremely difficult, Kiper does it just as well as anyone else. Here are five times he was correct on a specific draft pick, including player and team, in his initial official mock draft of a certain season.

5 correct NFL Draft predictions by Mel Kiper Jr. in his inital mock drafts

#5 - Marcell Dareus

Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus

Kiper correctly predicted that the Buffalo Bills would select defensive lineman Marcell Dareus as the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. Dareus had a solid run but never quite lived up to being that high of a selection, recording just one season with ten or more sacks.

#4 - Anthony Castonzo

Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo

Late picks are even more difficult to predict than early picks in the draft. That makes Kiper's prediction of the Indianapolis Colts selecting Anthony Castonzo with the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 draft rather impressive.

5 correct NFL Draft predictions by Mel Kiper Jr. in his inital mock drafts

#3 - Joe Haden

Cleveland Browns defensive back Joe Haden

Joe Haden was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, as predicted by Kiper from the start. Haden was the highest rated cornerback prospect in that particular draft class by a fairly large margin, and he lived up pretty well to the hype. He has recorded 29 career interceptions while being selected to three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team.

#2 - Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck

It should come as no surprise that Kiper predicted Andrew Luck would be the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Luck is considered one of the highest-rated quarterback prospects in NFL history and almost every NFL analyst agrees that he is a generational type of talent.

All of the scouts were right about Luck's talent, as he recorded a 33-15 record across his first three seasons while throwing 86 touchdowns and being selected to three Pro Bowls. His career was unfortunately cut short by injuries, and he retired after just six seasons.

#1 - Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

Kiper agreed with almost every other draft expert as well as pretty much every professional NFL scout that Trevor Lawrence would be the number one overall selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lawrence, like Luck, is considered by many to be one of the best overall quarterback prospects in NFL history.

Lawrence was projected to be a potential number one overall pick before he ever played a college football game. He was one of the most highly recruited and highest-rated players ever out of high school football and was always believed to have a bright future in the NFL. It has only been one season, so his NFL story is yet to be written.