Mel Kiper Jr. sees Lamar Miller going to Bengals

CORAL GABLES – While the decisions of Olivier Vernon, Marcus Forston and perhaps even Brandon Washington to leave Miami early for the NFL are considered questionable, Lamar Miller's decision to do so appears to be a sound one.

In his first mock draft for 2012, ESPN's draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. projected Miller will go to Cincinnati Bengals at No. 21 and rated him the second-best back in the draft behind Alabama's Trent Richardson. Kiper Jr. said on a conference call with reporters last week that he sees Miller as a second-rounder "at worst."

"People are going to be looking at him very favorably as we move through the draft process," Kiper Jr. said.

Of receiver Tommy Streeter, another UM early entry, he noted, "If he tests out well from a speed standpoint, he could be a second-round pick."

"Has some size [6-5], made some big plays this year, did some good things," Kiper Jr. added. "Not as seasoned as some other wideouts."

Washington's versatility will help him, Kiper Jr. said. Like Orlando Franklin a year ago, Washington moved from guard to tackle this past season because of need. "He can end up going a little higher than he's graded," Kiper Jr. said.

Forston, the defensive tackle who considered leaving early after the 2010 season, is "another guy that's going to drop significantly farther down the board than you would have thought two years ago" and Vernon is "way down the line" among defensive ends.

Kiper Jr. said Jacory Harris is the 22nd-rated quarterback on his board and he doesn't "see a scenario where he is selected."

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(sun-sentinel.com)