As the playoffs wind down, football fans start paying close attention to the upcoming NFL Draft and searching up mock drafts to see who their team might take in the upcoming draft.
One of the more respected people in the business is Mel Kiper Jr. The long-time ESPN Draft analyst has been dropping mock drafts for years and for the most part, they’ve been a complete and utter mess.
But despite his constant mistakes, people still keep coming back for more.
But maybe people change their mind after finding out about this.
Jason Whitlock of FOX Sports 1 claimed that agents have a history of paying writers and bloggers to create hype pieces for their clients:
Publicists/PR people/Agencies have writers on retainer who spew out much of what you read in the blogosphere. The client sees a favorable article on what appears a reputable site and has no idea his agent paid for it. https://t.co/O4hmCcyFUH
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) January 27, 2018
The tweet from Whitlock led to former 2008 first-round pick and former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Lawrence Jackson to take to Twitter and blast Kiper for taking bribes:
Mel Kiper has greased pockets. That’s why the big board always has some whaaaaat names. I had an agent promise to get me atop his big board. https://t.co/gC51fCKCpH
— Lawrence Jackson (@LoJackson94) January 28, 2018
That’s what an agent offered me.
— Lawrence Jackson (@LoJackson94) January 28, 2018
Just retire, Mel Kiper.. just like you said you would if Jimmy Clausen didn’t become a successful NFL quarterback.