When it comes to the NFL draft, there are few guys who carry the level of credibility that ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. does. If you enjoy the massive amount of media coverage the NFL draft gets every year, you can thank Kiper for that.
But maybe, just maybe he should stick to scouting prospects. Kiper went on a tirade on ESPN’s Get Up about the growing trend in the NFL of using two deep safeties to mitigate the deep pass.
Kiper railed about how the league needs to ban two deep safeties for the good of the game and that it is somehow harmful to the NFL that teams haven’t figured out a new twist that really isn’t new at all.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper says that two-high safeties should be BANNED from the NFL 🤔
“The NFL is being ruined by two-high safeties.”
(via @GetUpESPN)
pic.twitter.com/IcjZpq82ok— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 19, 2024
Most interesting is Kiper tries to justify his position by talking about the 70s and 80s NFL but this was a time when smash-mouth football was the norm and those deep passes he referenced were rare. The league has taken great steps in recent years to incentivize teams to throw the football more so we have no issue with defenses adjusting to a pass-happy league. Offensive coordinators are on notice to figure out ways to either force those safeties down into the box or move the ball without it.
