Mel Kiper unaware he ended up in middle of Shedeur Sanders NFL draft controversy

Mel Kiper unaware he ended up in middle of Shedeur Sanders NFL draft controversy

Shedeur Sanders’ wild five-round slide was the biggest storyline to come out of the 2025 NFL Draft last weekend.

A three-day swoonfest over the polarizing prospect spearheaded by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. was a buzzy subplot that captivated much of social media users’ attention, even if the subject at the center of it all wasn’t privy to the noise.

“I didn’t even know about it,” Kiper said Monday on “The Adam Schefter Podcast.”

“I was told, [ESPN vice president and executive producer] Seth Markman comes in and says, ‘Mel, you’re trending on Twitter.’ I don’t know what they said, I kind of believe it wasn’t nice, but I didn’t read one of them, but I was told I was trending over Shedeur Sanders. I said, ‘Maybe he’ll go into the UFL or the CFL.’ Maybe he’ll be Kurt Warner, maybe he’ll go play in the CFL or go in the UFL, maybe Shedeur should do that to prove to these guys in the NFL he can play. I don’t know what’s going to happen there, but they said I was trending on Twitter over Shedeur.”

became a trending topic over his Shedeur Sanders commentary during the 2025 NFL Draft. ESPN/X
The former Colorado QB was selected in the fifth round by the Browns on April 26, 2025. AP

Kiper, a Sanders advocate long before this year’s draft began, expressed bewilderment during ESPN’s draft coverage as Deion Sanders’ son was continuously bypᴀssed by teams, including the Giants, who traded back into Thursday’s first round to grab Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart with pick No. 25.

“Surprised he went ahead of Shedeur, not shocked, because [coach Brian] Daboll wants mobility,” Kiper said.

Mel Kiper spoke about the NFL draft fallout during a recent appearance on “The Adam Schefter Podcast.” YouTube

Kiper’s Sanders-heavy commentary continued to make the rounds online when the quarterback fell out of the second and third rounds Friday.

“I’ll tell ya what, Shedeur makes no sense to me. I mean, we could go to 102 picks and end today without Shedeur Sanders being picked. That’s nonsensical. This kid should’ve been a first-round draft choice,” he said, as covered by Awful Announcing.

Even after the Browns selected Sanders on Saturday with the No. 144 overall pick, the fireworks continued when a discussion between Kiper and ESPN colleague Rece Davis got heated in the fallout.

Shedeur Sanders’ NFL draft slide was the biggest storyline of the three-day event. Getty Images

Although Kiper ranked Sanders high on his board, other draft analysts struggled to pinpoint where the former Buffaloes star would land, with experts citing his abilities and how he navigated the pre-draft process.

There has been much speculation about how Sanders conducted himself in interviews with teams, not to mention divisive comments made at the NFL Scouting Combine back in February.

Sanders — the second quarterback taken by the Browns in this year’s draft after No. 94 pick Dillon Gabriel — is ready to prove his doubters wrong following the freefall.

He was coached by father Deion Sanders at Colorado for the past two seasons. AP

“Nothing really affected me the last couple days. I’m blessed,” Sanders said. “The love of the game is still the game. I know I have to clean up some things in my game to be at my best. The main thing is proving [coach Kevin] Stefanski and [general manager Andrew] Berry right about picking me.”

Sanders has since drawn interest from another team, with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League adding the QB to their negotiation list.

Related Posts

Jerry Jones risks more outrage from Cowboys stars after brutal take on Micah Parsons’ trade request

Jerry Jones risks more outrage from Cowboys stars after brutal take on Micah Parsons’ trade request

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has delivered a brutal verdict on Micah Parsons’ decision to submit an official trade request.  The Cowboys’ top defensive star, 26, had…

Kelce family in mourning as Ed Kelce’s partner dies

Kelce family in mourning as Ed Kelce’s partner dies

Ed Kelce, the father of Travis and Jason, has announced the death of his partner, Maureen Maguire.  Kelce shared an obituary on his Facebook page on Saturday…

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel sends warning to Tua Tagovailoa after Donald Trump called out NFL quarterback

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel sends warning to Tua Tagovailoa after Donald Trump called out NFL quarterback

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel joked that Tua Tagovailoa has been given an ‘executive order’ to avoid getting hurt after Donald Trump told the quarterback he ‘has…

Los Angeles Chargers star Denzel Perryman arrested on felony charge after he is found with five weapons

Los Angeles Chargers star Denzel Perryman arrested on felony charge after he is found with five weapons

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman was arrested around 9:30 p.m. Friday night in Inglewood, California on a felony charge after he was found with five weapons in…

Shedeur Sanders suffers injury setback as he battles for NFL starting spot with Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders suffers injury setback as he battles for NFL starting spot with Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders is suffering from a shoulder issue that has forced the Cleveland Browns quarterback to miss part of training camp. Sanders is locked in a four-way…

Football star exposes ‘darker side of the NFL’ that top players are struggling with: ‘Nobody will admit it’

Football star exposes ‘darker side of the NFL’ that top players are struggling with: ‘Nobody will admit it’

Pittsburgh Steelers star Breiden Fehoko has shed new light on the financial risks taken by many players in the NFL. The defensive tackle, who returned to the Steelers earlier…