Denard Robinson: Mel Kiper Insane to Project QB as Top WR in 2013 NFL Draft

There is absolutely no doubt that Denard Robinson is a good enough athlete to play in the NFL.

To say he's one of the top wide receivers in next year's class is absolutely insane, though.

Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN.com did exactly that. According to Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press, the draft expert had this to say on a conference call:

Looking ahead to next year's class it is apparent where Kiper is going with things. Beyond Robinson's ridiculous physical gifts, the 2013 class (current juniors) has no elite prospects.

Terrence Williams of Baylor, Tavarres King of Georgia, Tavon Austin of West Virginia and Keenan Davis of Iowa are all at the head of the class.

The current sophomores who will be juniors are better: Robert Woods of USC, Keenan Allen of California and Kenny Still of Oklahoma sit atop the would-be 2014 class.

Where the 5'11", 195-pound Robinson—who will likely run in the high-4.3, low-4.4 range in the 40-yard dash—ranks is certainly an intriguing debate.

But for a player who has never played wide receiver before at the college level, it's difficult to put him anywhere near the top despite him projecting much higher as a running back and wide receiver than he does as a quarterback.

As a running back he wouldn't have to develop much more. He could stand to gain some muscle, but we've seen him shine with the football in his hands since the day he arrived on campus, and playing running back in the NFL is a completely different game from playing wide receiver.

Shifting outside requires an entirely different set of skills. Robinson has never run routes. He's never had to beat press coverage, sell a post route, break outside to the corner and go up for a jump ball. He's never had to control his body or secure the ball in mid-air and control it all the way to the ground.

Rookie receivers don't often excel early in the NFL the way running backs do. The game is much faster and much more difficult than in college. Defenses are more complex, cornerbacks are bigger, stronger and faster, and understanding how to get open is a different challenge each and every play.

The players Robinson would be competing with have been doing that for at least three years at some of the highest levels of college football.

Again, there is no denying Robinson's physical ability, but to rank him ahead of players who've been playing the position is not only far-fetched, but downright crazy.

College quarterbacks with less athleticism have transitioned to wide receiver before. It is very possible and certainly not out of the question, but to rank Robinson as the No. 1 prospect at the position would be foolish.

There is simply too much that goes into playing wide receiver in the NFL for him to be considered the top prospect at a position he's never played before.

Kiper has been in this business for a long time. He's gotten picks wrong and he's gotten picks right.

As things go now, the Michigan quarterback would be better suited to play running back. If he does transition to wide receiver, his development will take time. That time alone makes him unfit to lead the receiver class.

Denard Robinson is an amazing athlete, but he isn't the top wide receiver in the 2013 draft class.

Always chuckin' the rock on Twitter too.