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  | Monday, April 14, 2003 Updated: April 17, 5:57 PM ET Top 5 overrated prospects By Mel Kiper Jr. April 14 | Editor's Note: ESPN.com draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. identifies the top five overrated prospects in the 2003 NFL draft. The draft takes place Saturday, April 26 (rounds 1-3) and Sunday, April 27 (rounds 4-7). Also check out my Top 5 underrated prospects
He could go as high as the early-to-mid first round, but I don't have him on my Big Board of the top 25 draft prospects. In fact, I have him ranked him No. 36 in my top 100. Boller has an outstanding arm, and the 234-pounder ran a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. He has all the tools, but he needs to improve his passing accuracy and his reads as he goes through progressions. Boller made significant strides in 2002 under Cal head coach Jeff Tedford, a quarterback guru. But in his college career, Boller completed less than 50 percent of his passes. 2. Kareem Kelly, WR, USCA good athlete who was highly recruited coming out of high school, Kelly has great speed (4.42-range in 40). He made some big plays for the Trojans, connecting with QB Carson Palmer (who helped Kelly to flourish in '02). But Kelly (6-0, 188) can be intimidated when he goes over the middle of the field. His consistency catching the ball drops when he's in traffic. His inconsistent hands limit the kind of routes he can run and maximize. 3. Kwame Harris, OT, StanfordHarris is an intriguing prospect. In 2002, his performances in some games were average. He didn't play like a mid-first-rounder in those games, so you could make a case that he's overrated. But he has tremendous physical skills and great size (6-7, 310). If he had returned to school and played to the level of his ability, he might have been a top-five pick in the 2004 draft. He has Orlando Pace-like potential, so he could end up being an underrated guy. But potential is the key word. 4. Cory Redding, DE, TexasHe made his presence felt in spurts this past season, flashing first-round ability but then being handled by the opposing OT. At 6-4 and 277 pounds, Redding might be better off adding 10-plus pounds and moving inside to DT, because he has good strength (24 bench-press reps at 225 pounds). 5. Boss Bailey, OLB, Georgia He has unbelievable athleticism (4.38 in the 40, 45½ vertical jump). At 6-3 and 233 pounds, he's certainly a talent. But he needs to maximize his ability on the field. For instance, he isn't a reliable, consistent tackler. So it's imperative that he improve his tackling, whether he plays linebacker in the NFL or moves to safety. 5a. Dennis Weathersby, CB, Oregon State He has excellent physical skills (4.41 in the 40) and had some great games in his college career, but he was inconsistent in 2002. A number of CB prospects (including Weathersby) are in the mix to be the third corner off the board after Terence Newman and Marcus Trufant. Weathersby (6-0½, 202) needs to be more aggressive. For a player with his ability, he wasn't the shut-down college corner you would expect him to be. | |||||||||||||
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