Mel Kiper was born on July 25, 1960 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA as Melvin A. Kiper Jr. He has been married to Kim Valdes since 1989. They have one child.

ESPN sportscaster NFL draft analyst. At the 1994 NFL draft, Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Tobin was told that Mel Kiper had questioned his team's choice of linebacker Trev Alberts over quarterback Trent Dilfer . Tobin responded, "Who the heck is Mel Kiper anyway? He has no more credentials to do what he's doing than my neighbor, and my neighbor's a postman." Kiper turned out to be correct as Dilfer ended up winning a Super Bowl with his hometown Baltimore Ravens while Alberts was out of the NFL after three injury-plagued and unproductive seasons.